Cursed
by megzela
Summary: Something unexpected and tragic occurs at The Battle at Hogwarts which launches a whole new adventure and an unlikely companion for Hermione... Eventual Snamione/Snanger. Based loosely off of one of the alternate realities in "The Cursed Child"
1. Prologue

Prologue:

The Battle at Hogwarts had taken an unexpected turn. Near the beginning, when the teachers and members of the Order had begun the protection charms and McGonagall's spell awoke the fierce stone warriors, we had all thought it somehow would turn out all right. Ron, Harry and I had avoided the battle as we hunted the diadem and destroyed the goblet.

When we met back on the staircase to the Great Hall there was a brief moment of peace – and then something none of us had expected happened. The Death Eaters had broken through the defenses some time before this and there was a massive battle in the courtyard involving the teachers, Order members, Death Eaters, giants, house elves and students. No one else had seen them coming.

I had glanced to my left, catching a glimpse of black before I realized exactly what was happening…and by then it was too late.

McGonagall had sent away the Slytherin students but no one had expected that they would instead rally in the dungeons and then join the fight. Yet there they came and we didn't even have time to raise our wands before the attacks began.

I remember only flashes from then on: a blurry vision of rubble beside my head; the cold, hard stone floor below me; screams and shouts; a limp hand not far from me covered in dirt and blood; my head spinning as I tried to sit up, my eyes honing in on a broken pair of glasses that I knew too well lying a few feet away; and Cedric's face, staring coldly down at me before he and the others charmed Harry's limp body along with them. I tried to stand, stumbling and nearly falling on an unconscious Ron when a spell hit me squarely in the chest and sent me crashing backwards into the stone pillar, where everything went black.

* * *

A/N: Well, I am back again! Another new writing experiment but I'm really enjoying this story line! Will try to upload as often as possible and respond to reviews as often as possible. As always, I love, love, LOVE constructive criticism and really enjoy reading all of your thoughts so thank you in advance. Enjoy!


	2. Rescued

A/N: I own none of this magical world and make no money from this...

* * *

"Weasley!" A low voice hissed. "Weasley!" The sharp sound of skin slapping skin sounded, a groan following immediately after.

"Get up, boy. You need to get out of here."

It took an enormous amount of effort to open my eyes. In fact, only one of them opened. My right eye stayed closed – perhaps it was too swollen or something was broken…or... I might even be blind. The pain was intense and reached every possible inch of my skin so the extent of my eye injury was indiscernible. What my left eye saw, however, made me wonder if there wasn't something wrong with that one as well.

The figure that rose to his feet beside the broken, bleeding and moaning form that was Ronald Weasley could only be one person. As he turned to glance behind him, I caught a clear view of his face which confirmed it.

"S…Sn…" I tried to get out his name but it took too much effort. Even then, my voice was just above a whisper. For a moment I thought he hadn't heard me but then his head slowly turned and his eyes met mine. His face twisted with either confusion or disgust - I couldn't tell which. Perhaps a combination of the two, depending upon the condition I was in.

"Hermione Granger?" His voice was full of disbelief.

"Mmm." Was all I could manage. His jaw dropped just a bit as he stared in shock. A cackle sounded from somewhere outside the great doors and seemed to snap him back into action. His head turned quickly from me to Ron and back again, most likely discerning which of us had worse injuries. Then, he moved like lightening.

It was strange to watch, I mused numbly as I watched him pull Ron to his feet. The man who never lifted a finger for any of us before - who seemed to move slowly enough to let you know he didn't care who he inconvenienced - was now rushing. It had to mean something terrible was happening… or _had_ happened. I looked around as much as my aching neck would allow but I didn't see Harry anywhere.

"Harr…" I choked out. Snape finished pouring some liquid down Ron's throat which seemed to help him bear his own weight and then yanked him over in my direction.

"I'll tell you everything when we get to safety." His voice was low and urgent. My brain didn't even have time to process that statement and what it might mean before he hoisted me up over his shoulder and hurried away supporting Ron's waist and carrying me. I could hear laughing, crying, wailing, glass breaking, rock crumbling and screaming behind us and wanted badly to crane my neck to look, but the pain intensified to a whole new level as Snape's movement jostled my body and the darkness overtook me once more.

*/*

When I came-to, I found myself lying next to Ron in a small, dank and dark stone room. While my skin prickled immediately trying to sense danger, the room itself looked quite warm. There was a very small stove in one corner with a fire cheerfully cracking away in it's belly, to my left were racks of wine bottles and a few yards from our feet stood a staircase. There was no light other than the fire, but the space was so small it hardly needed it.

Ron and I were each lying on a small cot, threadbare blankets that I suspected had seen much cleaner days tucked in around us. Hesitantly, I moved one limb at a time. Nothing seemed broken. I exhaled a large sigh of relief and flinched...perhaps I _had_ broken or at least bruised a few ribs. Everything else was just sore.

Pushing back the blanket, I did a quick assessment. No casts or splints but several wraps – on my left ankle, right knee, right thigh... my ribs were wrapped and also my right arm. Some nasty looking scrapes covered my left arm and in addition to my entire body aching, I had never understood the phrase "splitting headache" as well as I did now.

It took all my strength to pull myself up to a seated position and the exertion made my head spin. Though I wasn't sure if I could even stand, I knew I needed to gather information on where we were and what had happened. The only other items in the room were a small trunk against the wall near our cots and a few damp boxes under the stairs. The trunk seemed worth inspection. Grunting, I swung my legs over the edge and carefully stood. In took a few moments for me to convince my legs to move, but once they did and I put weight onto my left foot exclusively. A shooting pain up my leg caused me to jerk and lose my balance. I fell backwards, knocking the cot into the wine racks and cringed as a solitary bottle of wine teetered on the edge of it's compartment before falling – seemingly in slow motion – and shattering on the stone floor.

I inhaled sharply and sprang into action (as fast as I could with my injuries), pulled myself over to the cot, righted it and began pulling myself up on it when I heard the heavy footfalls on the ceiling above me. I was frantically climbing onto the cot, pain nearly blinding me as a light shone down the stairs and feet appeared hastily descending the staircase. I yanked the blanket up over me and wrenched my eyes shut, trying madly to quiet my heavy breathing. There was a long, ominous pause in which the only sound was hushed footsteps across the floor, the clinking of broken glass and then finally it went silent once more. The hair on my neck stood on end as I could feel the intense gaze on me. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm and cursed silently to myself as I remembered that in the fall I had caused my wounds to bleed through the bandage.

"Ms. Granger, I wasn't born yesterday. You can continue to feign unconsciousness or I could fill you in on the current goings on while I change your bandages." My eyes flew open at the sound of that familiar voice. Beside me, an especially pale Severus Snape sat on a conjured stool, busily preparing a new bandage for my arm. My mouth was too dry to allow me to speak, but he glanced up and answered my question anyways.

"You are in my home in Spinner's End. It's too risky to keep you on the main floors so this will have to do for now I'm afraid." I glanced over at Ron who was still out cold and back to the dark eyes watching me.

"He'll live. Some internal injuries which have caused me to place him in an unconscious state, but he should recover within a few days. You, on the other hand, are fine. A few sprains and bruised bones…stitches here… you'll have a generous number of scars but nothing that won't heal."

"Mmm." I moaned as my head throbbed once more. My left hand touched my head and he nodded.

"When you were thrown into the staircase you suffered a concussion. The effects should lessen within the week. I would administer more potions but I can't risk questioning if their disappearance is noticed." This made my brow furrow a bit – I wanted to know more, but the paper dry feel of my mouth was getting uncomfortable. I touched my lips and tried to get words out.

"W…can… wa…" Snape nodded once and produced a small wooden cup, filling it with water before handing it to me. I began attempting to sit up to drink, but then felt cool, strong hands lift my upper body and hold me there. I glanced, surprised, over at him for a moment but then gratefully gulped down the water. He filled it once more and I sipped it more slowly. Feeling refreshed I nodded and he gently lowered me down again.

"Harry?" My voice was immensely better but still a bit hoarse. Snape's eyes left mine instantly, staring intently at the knot he was tying in the bandage on my arm.

"S…Snape?" I whispered, my voice wavering. "Where is he?"

"Harry Potter is dead."


	3. Trust

A/N: I own none of this magical world and make no money from this...

* * *

I had somehow known what Severus was going to say but the words still took my breath away. Tears immediately stung my eyes, spilling down my face as a lump formed in my throat. The memory of Harry being carried off back at Hogwarts resurfaced in my mind. I had known something terrible had happened, but this was worse than I could ever have imagined.

"Are you sure?" I breathed. Snape finally met my eyes again, a surprising hint of sympathy in them.

"Quite."

"Did you…"

"See it? Yes. You might imagine that the Dark Lord considered it a great victory. He called together all the Death Eaters to witness his… _triumph_." His lip curled in disgust at the last word. I felt numb. We had been fighting with Harry against Voldemort for years and, suddenly, we had lost. Snape finished what he was doing and then simply sat in silence with me for a few moments, gazing at the small fire in the stove.

"Hermione," He began, my name sounding foreign even to me in his deep voice. "It's worse than last time. There are plans… _terrible_ plans that…you…" His eyes met mine and I could see how tortured he felt.

"Tell me. I need to know what is happening out there."

"They want to ' _cleanse the earth_ '. Rid it of all dirty blood. Hogwarts will be rebuilt, but it will be different now. Dolores Umbridge will be the Headmistress. The dungeons are being reopened…" He trailed off but I knew what that meant. It was all so surreal, but slowly the cold realization crept in.

"And Cedric?" Snape sighed, pressing long, slim fingers to the spot between his eyebrows.

"Cedric has been rewarded grandly. He'll be leading the new Snatcher Department at the Ministry."

"How did this happen? How did we not know he was a Death Eater?" Snape drew a deep breath.

"I think we shall leave that for another day. It is a long story and you need to rest. I shall return in a few hours with some dinner."

He stood and climbed the stairs gracefully, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Rest wasn't achieved – my mind was working overtime to try and make sense of everything. I regretted all the questions I didn't ask, growing more impatient for all the information he did not share with me, and longing for Ron to wake up to help me bear this burden. I had no idea what we were supposed to do now. Do we go into hiding? Are Ron's family members all right? Are any Order members still alive? What should we do now? I felt as though I might be going mad by the time Snape returned with a small tray.

Although I immediately wanted to bombard him with questions, the smell of the meager food offering reached my stomach first and made my hunger overpower any other sensation. I think Snape may have been a bit amused watching me shovel the slightly blackened bangers and mash into my mouth but it seemed as though I mustn't have eaten for days and I couldn't have cared less at that moment what Snape thought of me. Finally, once my belly began protesting the rate at which it was being filled, I could once again focus on my questions.

"What day is it?" It must have at least been 24 hours since I had last eaten, I thought.

"It is May the fifth. 1998 if you've forgotten." He added snidely.

"I didn't hit my head _that_ hard, thank you very much." I retorted, shooting him a smirk. With a start I noted that Snape and I were bantering back and forth. _Professor_ Snape and I. If that wasn't a sign of how things had changed I didn't know what was. He looked at me for a moment with a bit of surprise and, dare I say, mirth in his eyes. Quickly, though, he sobered up and dropped his gaze to his folded hands.

"The battle barely lasted past daylight. By mid-morning he was…well, it was over. That's when I found him," he nodded at Ron, "And you. I took you back here and gave you both Dreamless Sleep until I could take care of the worst of your wounds."

"And we are in _your_ home?"

"Yes, this is my family's property. I stay here during the summer months."

"Didn't you…well, why here?" I slid the empty plate to the end of my cot as I carefully pulled my legs in to sit cross legged.

"Hotel 41 was fully booked." He said dryly.

"But your _home_? Isn't that a bit risky?" I asked, ignoring his sarcasm.

"That's why I chose it. They won't expect me to have helped you in the first place, but they certainly won't expect you to be using my wine cellar for lodging."

I nodded slowly, allowing this all to sink in. "Do the others know?"

"Others?"

"Ron's mum and dad, Lupin, Tonks, McGonagall… any of them?" Snape turned his attention to his hands once more. I felt a sick coldness snake through my belly.

"Snape?" It came out barely a whisper. He glanced up at me, a rare display of vulnerability painted on his face.

"I'm not sure any of them survived." He said quietly. This time I didn't even notice the tears until Snape produced a small cream colored handkerchief from his jacket pocket and handed it to me. I sniffled and wiped my tears away, then ran my fingers over the embroidery in the corner.

"S.T.S.?"

"Severus Tobias Snape. My mother made it for me." I looked up at him and simply stared at him a moment, not knowing what to say or ask next.

"I fear we may be spending quite a bit of time together going forward. You may as well use my given name." He said. I swallowed hard, working around the lump in my throat.

"Then you must of course call me Hermione, _Severus_."

Those few exchanged words struck me deeply and gave the situation we were in an even more serious feeling. It was as if in that moment, I had become an adult. No more hiding behind the school, or Dumbledore, or Harry, or…anything really. I glanced over at Ron. He was still unconscious, barely having moved since I had awoken that afternoon. Other than a sling around one arm and a nasty looking bruise covering half of his face, he looked mostly fine. With a cringe I flexed my bad arm and ankle. _Well,_ I thought, _perhaps we'll take a bit more of a rest before we decide what we do next. We need to find out who else is out there that we can trust, after all._

I looked up at Severus once more. I would never have thought that Severus Snape would be our most trusted ally…but, then again, this was no longer the world we knew. Everything was different, everything had changed. We were having to start over once again…and we would have to trust each other to do that.


	4. Summons

The next few days were uneventful. Severus had told me that we would most likely not see a lot of him as things were changing so quickly and he was still one of Voldemort's most trusted followers. He would be needed quite often, and I understood. It was odd, in light of this new world order that he would still be working alongside the other Death Eaters, but, I supposed there wasn't much else to do unless he would outright betray them and that wouldn't help anyone.

So, most of my time was spent pouring over the Daily Prophet papers that Severus supplied me with, heating up tea on the rickety old stove and munching on stale crackers and bits of dried meat. I knew Severus did what he could, and it really wasn't much different from when we three were on the run on our own. My wounds were healing nicely – I'd always have scars of course, but it didn't really matter what I looked like. I'd be lucky to survive outside of this tiny cellar after all.

Ron stayed unconscious, though it seemed that he was getting more aware as time went on. He would flinch and screw up his eyes if I dropped the tea kettle, or shift the position of his head if I coughed. The last time Severus was here, he told me that he'd wake soon, and should be mostly healed. What we would do once that happened, though, was anyone's guess.

Footsteps across the ceiling interrupted my thoughts. My heart always skipped a beat or two before I recognized those familiar dragon skin boots on the stairs… there was no telling what sort of harm could befall us in this strange place. The few times I had seen him come down, he was always concentrated on the tray or bag he held in his hands, only glancing up after finishing his descent. He would then glance at Ron before giving me a small nod, producing a stool out of thin air, and filling me in on any information he could give me. Sometimes we sat in silence with tea. But always he checked over our wounds and gave me an update.

"He'll be awake within 24 hours or so." He proclaimed as he finished checking Ron over. He then turned on me, his cold, thin and pale hands lightly checking all my bandages. "You'll live." He said offhand. The corner of my mouth tilted up a bit before thoughts of Harry set in. He noticed my face and followed my train of thought.

"I apologize. That was inappropriate."

"No, it's all right. I'm going to need to make my peace with it sooner or later." I said weakly, managing a half smile. Severus looked as uncomfortable as I'd ever seen him. He seemed to look everywhere to avoid my gaze, his hands restlessly fidgeting and there was an awkward silence that stretched too long.

"Any news?" I asked finally, swallowing down the lump in my throat.

"No," he cleared his own throat, "I have a lead on finding some Order Members but I'll need time to pursue it."

"I see."

"Things are…different out there."

"It's only been a week." I reasoned. He finally met my eyes, showing me how sincere he was.

"Much can be accomplished in seven days."

"The world, I suppose." I muttered.

"The wizarding world for certain. The Ministry is already restaffed. The specifics of the new jobs are still being worked out. The school has been rebuilt. They are working on a few new additions…." He trailed off.

"Additions? You mean the dungeons?" Severus nodded.

"They're really going to put students in the dungeons?" I asked incredulsously.

"Only the impure ones."

I turned to look at him in shock. His face maintained it's composure as he shifted his eyes from the foot of my cot to my face. Another beat or two went past before a small shift of recognition crossed his face.

"Once again, my apologies. Every day this is how I must speak. It becomes…routine." Another uncomfortable silence hung between us for several seconds.

"That's not how you feel though, is it?"

"Pardon?"

"I mean, you don't think we…my…the ' _impure_ ' need to be punished?"

"Of course not. I am not a pure blood either after all." I recalled what Harry said about Severus admitting to being the Half Blood Prince and nodded. A thought crossed my mind.

"But you are close to V… _him…_ are you not? How would you gain such trust if you aren't even a pure blood?"

"I was willing to go along with his plans. I am quite accomplished in potions and dark magic. I gained his trust when..." he trailed off, a haunted expression painted on his features. "Well, I rose to a challenge; and that combined with my…talents… I seem to have gained the admirings of a particular Dark Lord."

I smirked at this, noting once again how strange it was to hear the Professor who frightened the living daylights out of my fellow classmates make light of a particularily desperate situation.

"I suppose that's all we can do." The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Come again?" I could feel myself flush.

"Erm… I just meant that…with things the way they are out there…perhaps laughing about it is all we can do…for now." My eyes flitted around nervously for a moment. When they met his once more I noticed with relief that he had the smallest of smiles on his lips – perhaps a bit sad – but a smile nonetheless.

Suddenly he let out a low hiss and hunched over. I, in turn, leapt to my feet and drew my wand. A thin, shaky hand lifted to calm me. He lifted his head just enough to reveal one dark brown eye and a small bit of sweaty brow through the curtain of his black hair.

"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth. "The Dark Lord…is calling me." My lips parted in shock as everything came together and I realized that it was his dark mark causing him so much pain... simply for a summons. I watched, speechless, as Severus rose and quickly made his way upstairs, closing the door and I soon heard the soft crack of him apparating away.

Slowly lowering myself onto the cot, I looked over at Ron and wished more than ever that he would wake up. I felt so alone. I didn't even have books to help me think. That gave me a thought. I stood quickly as a thought occurred to me. This was Severus's home! He absolutely _must_ have all sorts of books and novels and textbooks upstairs somewhere. And he had just left….

I bit my lip, weighing the consequences; but, ultimately, I hurried over to the stairs and ascended them as quickly as my weak ankle would allow. Once I got to the top of the stairs, I hesitated foolishly before remembering that no one else was home. I moved slowly through the main level, careful to avoid windows and listened for any hint of arrivals. Not far from the cellar's door, around another set of stairs, was a study with shelves and shelves of books. I glanced around awestruck and quickly began my search. I had just chosen a third book when the unmistakable cracking sound of three separate witches or wizards apparating into the living space sounded.

I froze, scared even to move. It might be Death Eaters. It might, however, also be Severus bringing other Order members to safety. Straining to hear anything, I crept closer to the doorway, hiding my body as much as possible behind the open door and getting as close as I could to the muffled voices.

"This is certainly not necessary, I assure you." I recognized Severus's baritone immediately

"It's not your decision to make, Snape." An unfamiliar male voice sneered. I bit my lip, hoping to recognize the third voice. And I did indeed recognize it. It belonged to one Bellatrix LeStrange.

"Now, now, Severus. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." Her high pitched cackle that followed made my blood run cold.


	5. Intrusion

"Now, where shall we begin, _Sevvie?_ " Her sickeningly sweet voice sang out.

"What's in here?" The gruff male's voice sounded. Footsteps approached the study. I froze, mind racing to decide how best to defend myself against both of them when I heard Severus's response.

"Ah, but then I could easily smuggle someone down the stairs while you investigated my books." Severus said in a rather bored way. A few hushed words were exchanged and then one set of footsteps began climbing the stairs to the second floor.

"Bellatrix, may I offer you some tea?" Severus asked too nicely.

"Trying to play nice, are we, _Sevvie?_ I don't care for tea." I could hear her frustration both in the strain of her voice and the tapping of her heels as she paced the floors.

"Some Firewhiskey then? I'll have a bit myself, I think…" I panicked as I heard his footsteps retreat into the closed-off kitchen, but after only a few moments hesitation, the sound of her heels followed.

This was my one shot and I knew it was incredibly risky. I had to get down to Ron and hide somehow. Taking a deep breath, I crept as quietly as possible out of the study, past the stairs and toward the door to the cellar. I was only about three steps away when a floorboard creaked loudly beneath my right foot. I froze instantly and held my breath as silence consumed the house. Then, suddenly, everything happened very quickly. The pounding of footsteps down the hall upstairs towards the staircase, as well as the sound of breaking glass and hasty steps coming from the kitchen.

I practically dove to the door, throwing it open, ducking in, and closing it as quietly and quickly as possible (though the man's feet thumping down the stairs could have easily masked it). I dashed down the stairs, cast a hasty _levicorpus_ at Ron, and deposited him in a small alcove beside the stove. I shut the door of the stove which darkened the cellar quite a bit but it didn't help hide us as we were right beside it.

"What's down here?" I heard the man's gruff voice yell as he yanked on the door. It sounded locked, however, and I exhaled in some relief as I realized Severus must have bought us a bit of time by locking it. Quickly as possible I vanished the cots and then shrunk back into the alcove, bumping my back into something sharp. Turning, I saw a smallish grate set into the stone wall and a light bulb went on in my head. As the lock rattled at the top of the stairs, I moved as fast as I could - ripping the grate off the wall and shoving a limp Ron and myself into a small crawl space behind it. Once inside, I pulled up the grate once more and squeezed my hand through a small gap to reattach the screws. I worked fast and was on the second screw, my hand and wrist bleeding from rubbing up against the sharp metal, when the door finally opened.

Bellatrix and her unknown companion moved quickly down the steps, Severus's unmistakable steady gait coming behind them. They were walking through the few racks of wine – I could hear the glass rattling as they looked at a bottle here and there.

"What's all this?" The man asked.

"Wine, obviously." Severus answered sarcastically. "Surely you know what _that_ is, Mulciber."

"What else do you keep down here?" Bellatrix demanded.

"Nothing."

"Then what, pray tell, was that sound we heard? There's someone here, I can feel it. What's this?"

She had found the grate. I inched backwards as quietly as possible, holding my breath. My hand touched something soft. When I glanced down at it, however, all I could see was the dirty crawl space floor. I moved my hand in a circular motion. There was definitely something there. _The cloak!_ I nearly squealed as I realized Severus must have stolen it from the Death Eaters and hidden it here for this purpose. I yanked it up and draped it over Ron and myself, scrunching even further back and holding my breath once more.

Bellatrix yanked the grate off the wall with her bare hands in one motion and stuck her face into the hole, eyes darting around the space. I heard the clanking of the grate hitting the floor as she dropped it and leaned further into the space. She sniffed the air like a dog, reaching dirty fingers towards us. Her long, crooked nails came just short of hitting my knee, but that's all the further she could reach. She withdrew her hand, but looked directly at me - making me fear that somehow the invisibility cloak had stopped working. After a moment or two, however, she retreated.

"Let's get out of here, Mulciber. Severus is as boring as ever." Bellatrix was obviously upset. Mulciber chuckled nastily. Once all three sets of footsteps had ascended the stairs, I finally allowed myself a shaky breath. I stayed frozen in place until I heard two cracks of apparition. I stayed still even until Severus had made his way back down the stairs, into the crawl space, pulled the cloak off of us and put his hand over mine.

"They're gone, Hermione. You can come out."

*/*

Later that evening, Severus and I sat in some rickety old wooden chairs he had brought down and placed before the stove. My hands were still shaking the slightest bit, but the Firewhiskey Severus had put in my tea was helping.

"I apologize." Severus mumbled quietly before hastily taking a sip of tea. I glanced over at him rather lethargically.

"It's not your fault. I doubt we'd be safe anywhere. At least here we had you on our side." He didn't make eye contact - in fact he turned to face the fire. I got the impression that he seldomly had reason to apologize to anyone and wasn't sure what to do afterwards.

"Were they looking for us specifically?" I asked.

"Not specifically. Most likely they were looking for that cloak. The real trophy was Mr. Potter." His eyes darted quickly to mine and back to the fire. "Now the other 'undesirables' are less urgent. The Dark Lord wants you all rounded up, of course, but seems to be untroubled with the time line of it all." I scoffed unintentionally. When he looked up at me in surprise, I let the words pour out of my mouth with barely a second thought.

"This is all absolutely _disgusting_. How could you be wrapped up in something this horrendous? I don't understand how you could devote your life to _him_ … and calling him the ' _Dark Lord_ '? What, do you respect him? How could you possibly? What is wrong –" I finally was able to stop myself before I said something I would undoubtedly regret. My stomach flipped as I saw a deep sadness fill his eyes.

"There is a lot wrong with me, Miss Granger," he said quietly, "It is a long story." We simply sat in silence a moment, staring at each other. My anger melted away some, but my mind was churning with questions.

"I've got some downtime." I said, gesturing at Ron. Severus glanced briefly at Ron.

"Very well." Severus sighed heavily and drank the last finger of his Firewhiskey in one large gulp.

He launched into his story, beginning with his abusive father and passive mother. He told me all about meeting a young girl named Lily, falling in love with her, being bullied, and only fitting in with sons and daughters of Death Eaters. He told me what he called Lily (which, if I am honest, I felt pain from as well), and how he became a double agent to try to save her. He said he had continued to work for Dumbledore since then, as he had his eyes opened to the horrors the dark side was committing and wanted nothing to do with them – he was only in it now to try and stop them.

After a few beats of silence once he had finished his tale, he twisted his mouth into a scowl and produced a makeshift pensieve. Extracting a long, silvery thread from his temple and depositing into the pensieve, he gestured for me to look and said softly, "These were meant for Harry."

I swallowed hard, staring into the swirling mist and debating whether I wanted to see what he was about to show me. In a way, it felt sacred - it had been meant for Harry to see for some reason; not to mention they were most likely Severus's own personal memories. They were probably important, if Harry was supposed to see them, and I felt in a way that I owed it to him to carry on what I could. My mind made up, I took one last glance at Severus's solemn face, took a deep breath...and then let myself fall.


	6. Worthy

I leaned back in my chair feeling emotionally exhausted and breathing heavily. My brain was trying to process what I had just seen…Severus and Harry's mother! The image of him sobbing while clutching her limp, lifeless body haunted me and I glanced up to find a similar expression on his face now.

"Severus…"

His eyes flicked quickly from the floor to my face, a solitary tear streaming down his cheek. My heart lurched at the sight of such a strong, commanding man breaking down before me. I wasn't sure what to do, really. I would have hugged Harry or Ron but this was a man whom only a year ago was a teacher of mine. After some inner turmoil, I reached a shaky hand out towards him, hesitated, and then let it come to a rest on his.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered. He glanced down at our hands, but didn't withdraw. This was strange territory. An odd tingling feeling bubbled in my stomach and made the hair on my arm stand on end. Slowly I dragged my eyes upward towards his face…

"Ugh…wh…ho…hel..hello?" A weak voice sounded behind me. I was momentarily bewildered, forgetting that anyone else was near, but soon jumped out of my chair as I realized Ron was groaning and stirring. Ignoring the now dull ache in my ankle, I dashed over to his cot.

"Ron!" I choked out as I gave him a large smile. He looked up at me through squinted eyes.

"Her…Hermione?"

"Yes, yes, it's me, Ron. Thank the Gods you are all right. I was so worried!" Ron rubbed his face, withdrew his hand from my clenched ones and dragged himself slowly up to a sitting position.

"Where are we?" He asked groggily.

"We're in Severus Snape's basement." He gave me a quizzical look, then his eyes grew wide.

"Snape? We're in _Snape's_ basement? Bloody hell, Hermione! We have to get out of here! How did we – who – why –" He was wincing repeatedly as he was attempting to stand when his eyes landed on Severus. I glanced back at the slim, solitary figure whom, I supposed, could easily be seen as menacing in his dark robes with the firelight casting ominous shadows across his sallow face.

"It's all right, Ron," I said quietly, putting a firm hand on his arm. "He's on our side."

"What?" Ron spat.

"Listen…you need to sit down."

"Like hell I do! Hermione, we need to get away from this sick git! He's working for _you-know-who_! We need to find Harry and –" He broke off abruptly when he saw my tears.

"Ron…"

"Hermione," he started quietly, looking like he was going to be sick, "what's going on? Where's Harry?"

"He…he didn't make it."

Ron's face fell. His wide, wet eyes slowly transferred to Severus and back to me. A few tears escaped and ran down his cheeks. "What?" His voice was a whisper.

"I don't know all the details. I saw him being taken at Hogwarts, and then Severus confirmed it. He rescued us."

"Bellatrix and Mulciber have already come to hunt you, but Hermione saved you both." Severus said quietly from the shadows.

"The cloak helped." I gave him a small smile despite my tears. His piercing eyes never left mine.

"Harry was my best mate." Ron breathed. I broke my connection with Severus and looked down at Ron and felt helpless. Of course Harry and I had been close – he was like a brother to me. But Ron shared a connection with him that I had never known. I leaned down and wrapped my arms securely around him, careful to avoid his injuries, but tight enough to be a comfort. For a few moments there was silence. Then the sniffles and shaking began. I held Ron for what seemed like hours, allowing him to grieve. I had forgotten that Severus was there until we pulled away and I caught sight of him sitting on his stool, gazing somberly into the flames.

After I had tucked Ron into the thin blanket, eyes blank and skin pale, I crossed back to sit beside Severus. He looked up as I sighed, lowering myself onto the wooden chair.

"How is he?" Severus asked.

"I don't think I can do more for him at the moment. He needs time, that's all."

"You can't stay here much longer." I looked at him, surprised. I knew this, of course, but hadn't expected him to bring it up.

"Of course. I…I'll try to think of someplace." I fidgeted with the now cool tea cup I had left behind earlier.

"I've already made arrangements. I'll take you there as soon as he is ready…as soon as _both_ of you are ready." He cleared his throat and took a swig of tea.

"Oh," I wasn't sure what to say, "Thank you." It came out as more of a question than I meant.

"Hermione…you aren't alone. Not here. I am on your side. I gave my word to someone…special. I shall protect you as long as I live. Both of you." He corrected himself quickly. The question burned on my tongue.

"Yes?" The exasperation in his voice nearly made me laugh.

"Who asked you to protect us?" His eyes bored into mine for a few moments. Abruptly he broke eye contact and ran a long, slim thumb along the lip of his cup. He seemed to be pondering whether to grant me this information or not. In the end, it seemed I was worthy.

"One Albus Dumbledore." I could feel my brow furrow in confusion.

"But surely he just meant Harry."

"His exact words were 'Mr. Potter and his friends – Granger and Weasley – they are of the utmost importance, Severus. They will be the ones to defeat the darkness.'" I pondered this for a bit.

"But what could we possibly do without Harry?" I wondered aloud. With that, Severus quickly leaned forward, perched like a bird about to take flight on the very edge of his seat.

"Everything," he stressed. "What is left? Nagini and the Dark Lord himself. All the other horcruxes are gone."

"What's stopping him from making more?"

"He's weak." Severus whispered as if afraid he would be heard. "He's nearly mortal. If you could…if you could just…"

"Why can't you do it?" I asked, suddenly accusing him. "Aren't you his ' _right-hand man_ '?" He looked at me sadly.

"Our thoughts aren't safe with him. He dives in and explores each of our thoughts when in his presence. He also surrounds himself with several Death Eaters at a time. He is immune to poison. I cannot kill both him and the snake. Either will be a suicide mission if I am alone, and if Nagini dies, no one will be allowed near the Dark Lord. If he flees...we may never have another chance." He looked at me sincerely, no trace of hope in his eyes.

"I am not afraid of death, Hermione. I will gladly welcome it but I cannot complete this task alone."

The severity of what he said settled in slowly, allowing me time to wrap my head around this whole, ugly situation. We couldn't just give up and spend our lives on the run. We had joined Harry in his mission to take Voldemort down and save the wizarding world. Now that Harry's gone, the least we could do is continue his work. My mind made up, I looked Severus in the eyes with as much courage as I could muster.

"Where to next, then?"


	7. Dementors

A/N: I unfortunately own none of this magical world and make no money from this...

* * *

It was nearly midnight on a warm Friday when we relocated. Severus had disguised us well – we took Polyjuice Potion to assume the identities of two muggles that lived a few miles from the house. Disguising our voices took a bit of work, particularly for Ron who was still suffering over the loss of Harry. He tried his best, though, and unless you knew him you wouldn't recognize the voice…we hoped.

Severus hadn't told us where we were going, only that it was someplace safe. My wounds had healed nicely, only my ankle still wrapped for support. My head was much better and Ron only had his sling now, which was conveniently hidden under a wind breaker draped across his shoulders. He appeared to be a sullen teenage boy, tall and gangly with jet black hair. I assumed the role of an older woman, taller than my true self with dark hair and dark eyes. Together we three might appear to onlookers as a family.

Rounding the corner, Severus put out a hand to stop us in the darkness of the alley. We watched, holding our breath, as two black cloaked men strode slowly down the street away from us, rounding the corner at the end of the block.

"Death Eaters?" I breathed. Severus gave me a sharp nod of confirmation. After another moment or two he beckoned us forward with his hand and we took off sprinting across the wide street to the alley on the other side.

"Where exactly are we going?" Ron asked grumpily. Severus ignored him and kept up with the brisk pace. It seemed that we had walked miles by the time we arrived at a somewhat dodgy looking bus station. He led us to one of the buses and handed something to the driver. After he looked us over suspiciously, the man nodded and allowed us to board. Severus led us to the back and we took our seats.

The driver almost immediately closed the doors and took off, only a few others scattered throughout the bus. About fifteen minutes later, we stopped on the side of a dark, narrow road. Severus beckoned us up and off the bus.

"What was that about?" Ron demanded.

"Covering our tracks, obviously." Severus said offhand as he began walking into the woods. Ron and I glanced wearily at each other before following behind him.

"Was it really that necessary?" Ron was growing more and more frustrated as tree branches caught his hood and he tripped over roots. Severus made a small noise that sounded quite like a scoff.

"Mr. Potter really was the brains of the operation, wasn't he?"

Ron jumped him before I knew what was happening. They went down with a loud crash, causing my eyes to dart about us to check for attackers before looking back down at the men accompanying me. Ron had the advantage initially, but with Severus's training and Ron's arm still injured and in a sling, he soon was pressed face-down into the underbrush, Severus's wand pushed hard against his cheek.

"Stop, stop!" I whispered harshly. "Both of you. You're acting like children. Now get up and let's find this safe house." When they didn't move immediately, I pulled out my own wand.

" _Now._ " Even I was impressed with how low and threatening my voice sounded. Severus hesitated a moment but then stood, taking his knee off the small of Ron's back and reluctantly stashing away his wand. I helped Ron up and was glad that although his eyes were shooting daggers at Severus's back, he kept his cool and trudged along behind me as we continued our journey.

After what seemed like hours later, I lifted my hand to wipe my brow and noticed my nails were losing their red polish and the nails were growing shorter.

"I think the potion is wearing off!" I said as loud as I dared. I glanced back at Ron and found that he too was changing back - his hair had patches of bright red growing through. Severus just kept pressing forward.

"It doesn't matter. We're nearly there."

Sure enough, only a few minutes later, we happened upon a small, rickety looking cottage. Though I knew we were in no position to complain, I must admit my nose wrinkled just a bit. The windows were broken in places, the roof severely needed repairs, there were holes and mold on the sides… and the smell! It wasn't pleasant. Severus, however, seemed unfazed and went right up to the door, whispering a few words and waving his wand before finally entering.

Ron pushed past me, curious to see inside. I hung back a moment, looking around the woods encircling the cottage and bracing myself for the inside. When I stepped across the threshold, however, I quickly realized with relief that Severus must've charmed it. While it was no luxury accommodation, it had two sets of bunk beds against the long wall, a fireplace on the far wall with a few simple wooden chairs before it, and a rickety table next to floor to ceiling shelves to my left. On the shelves there were a few wooden plates, bowls and cups along with a few tins, a bar of soap, a pitcher and large bowl and a few old books.

"It's nothing grand, but it should be safe enough for some time." Severus said softly as he stoked the freshly built fire. Ron had pulled off the baggy windbreaker and was already lying down on a top bunk, turned away from us. I crossed the floor to sit in one of the chairs beside the fireplace.

"Thank you." I told him.

"It's the least I can do." He mumbled. Once the flame was going strong, he backed up into the other chair and sat stoically.

"May I ask you something?" He eyed me warily.

"If you must."

"What caused you to call Lily what you did, exactly? Was that why she married James?" I knew I was overstepping, but the question had been burning in my mind since I saw his memories. A brief flash of pain crossed his eyes.

"I betrayed her." He said quietly. I bit my lip, wanting to know more but it felt too personal. He sighed. He had already told me vague details but now he launched into the complete story.

"It was our fourth year. She had been spending time with James Potter for quite a while. She knew that he and his friends enjoyed bullying me and she didn't do much to stop it. It wasn't her responsibility, but I had thought…" He trailed off, a tortured look upon his face as he stared into the flames. "Well, one day she had caught James bullying me and told him to stop. He and his mates began taunting me because they thought I needed a girl to defend me. Behind me, the boys from my house were also taunting me – they said I should hex James, that I should quiet her, that I was weak…. It all became overwhelming and in my overly emotional state, I spat out something I will never forget. I called her a mudblood. I was accepted by the young Death Eaters who had egged me on, but I lost Lily forever. I tried so hard to apologize, to show her that I didn't mean it… but it did me no good.

"I've hated the word ever since. It is my biggest regret."

I nodded slowly, still unsure whether I should detest him for calling his friend that disgusting word or... now should I soothe him for finally ridding himself of such a heavy burden for so long. Suddenly my memories of saying goodbye to my childhood home and erasing my parents' minds began playing over and over in my head. I could feel the sadness and guilt so strongly I didn't even notice Severus making an odd gasping sound and shoving his hands into his jet black hair.

I missed Harry so much it hurt. I remembered the moment Severus had confirmed his death and tightly wrapped my arms around myself to try to dull the pain. My head ached from holding back tears. Was I just now beginning to truly deal with my emotions? Why was it suddenly so painful? I glanced down at my arms to see the hair standing on end, skin covered in goosebumps. Finally, I noticed how cold the air was. Everything clicked into place.

"Dementors." I breathed, my breath visible in the air. Severus looked up at me quickly, his eyes wide and wild, full of unshed tears. Before either of us could move, a tortured wail sounded from the other end of the cottage.

"Ron." I whispered, forcing myself to get out of my seat and go to him. Severus was faster, making it to Ron before I had crossed halfway. He was saying something to the younger boy as he sobbed, hushed enough that I couldn't hear the words. After a moment, Ron went silent. Severus gave me a weary nod and crossed to one of the darkened windows. I stepped up beside him and followed his gaze. Just above the trees, barely visible in the early morning light, were scores of Dementors traveling north. The air was so cold it made the fire shrink to embers and caused the glass to frost. I found myself taking an involuntary step towards Severus just for warmth. He looked at me sideways for a moment, but allowed me to stay.

It wasn't much longer before the sky was finally clear. It left me feeling thoroughly exhausted, however. Severus stayed still as a statue the entire time they were in sight, but now moved slowly to the shelves, opening a small tin and pulling out a chunk of chocolate for me, keeping one for himself as well. I felt better almost instantly once I took a small bite.

"There's more in there for him when he wakes." Severus said quietly. The air around him was thick with tension. I got the feeling that he was embarrassed to have been seen in such unguarded pain. I decided it was probably best to leave it be so I mumbled my thanks and made my way back to the fire, curling up beside it, stoking it and warming up the space.

"I'd better be going." Severus said. I nodded without turning around.

"Be safe, Severus." I muttered. His footsteps halted for just a moment before I heard the door open.

"And you, Hermione." His deep voice caressed every word. With that, he stepped out of the cottage and vanished into the night.


	8. Survivor

I tried to make the best of our stay at this little cottage, though there wasn't much to be done. I helped Ron to exercise his arm, made sure his bandages stayed clean or were replaced when necessary… made tea and meals, and cleaned up after ourselves. I also made a point to keep the fire going strong as our temporary home still seemed to be chilled after that first night.

Ron had been getting better and stronger as time passed. We talked about Harry often but I carefully avoided the future as I wasn't sure what Ron's plans were and I had no idea what to do going forward. The one thing we did agree on and wanted to work towards was finding as many Order members as we could. How to do that was a bit trickier. Severus was our only contact at present. Ron strongly felt that he needed to get in touch with his family. It was true, with so many of them in the Order it made sense…but it seemed too risky. We were in the middle of another discussion about that when I felt a tingle up my spine.

"Someone's coming." I whispered. Ron sprang to action, extinguishing the lanterns and candles, leaving only the fire going. We both ducked behind furniture and had our wands at the ready. The door creaked open slowly and all I could see at first was the blackness of night outside.

"It is I, Severus Tobias Snape. I brought you here Friday last and am still a member of the Order of the Phoenix and a loyal supporter of Dumbledore." I peeked out from behind the table leg and looked at the man speaking. It certainly looked like Severus – and sounded like him. He even waited in the doorway as if waiting for permission to enter.

"What did you call yourself in your fifth year potions book?" I asked, hoping my voice sounded confident.

"I called myself the Half-Blood Prince." I relaxed a bit, tentatively standing and nodding to Ron to come out from behind the bunk bed – though he kept his wand pointing towards the door, I noticed with admiration. Severus entered the cottage, yet didn't close the door. I was instantly on edge again, my wand still down but my heart beating fast.

"Calm down, you two. I found a friend of yours, but told them to wait until I told you about him to enter. You are rightfully on guard, but I don't want you hexing him straight away." He said dryly.

"Him?" Ron was eyeing the door hopefully, most likely hoping it was one of his brothers.

"Come on in then." Severus announced as he strode past us to the fire. I watched him only for a moment before catching sight of the man who entered.

"Professor Lupin!" The words came out of my mouth involuntarily and I found myself running and flinging myself into his arms. It took him aback, but after a moment of recovery he put his arms around me as well. He smelt of rain, dirt and campfire but I didn't care. A familiar face – and one so friendly. It was a miracle that he was found alive and here now with us.

When I finally released him, I looked back at Ron with a huge smile upon my face, eyes shining. Ron had lowered his wand but otherwise hadn't moved. His eyes were dull and his face ashen. I took a step towards him in concern.

"Ron? It's Lupin." He still didn't move. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?" Ron finally looked from the floor to Lupin's face, giving him a very small smile and then turning and making his way back to his bunk. I turned back to Lupin, thoroughly confused.

"Give him time, Hermione." He said in his wonderfully familiar voice. I nodded once and then led him to join Severus by the fire. It was quite difficult but I managed to hold off on any questions until I had placed a hot cup of tea in his hands and put out a plate with our meager rations – dried beef, crackers and a few stale biscuits.

"Where have you been?" I asked finally. Lupin quickly glanced at Severus and then settled his eyes on his tea cup.

"On the run like any number of the others, I suppose." His voice sounded so lifeless. It was then that I noticed how much he had aged. His graying skin held many more lines than I remembered and he had obviously not been eating well. Large dark circles under his eyes told me that sleep was not a frequent activity of our old professor either.

"Do you know about any of the others?" My voice was quiet, as if I was expecting more bad news and preparing myself for it.

"Hermione – "Severus started, shifting forward in his chair, his eyes on Lupin.

"No, Severus, it's all right. I'll tell her." Lupin said with a hand extended. He finally met my eyes, inhaled and then let his features settle into a reluctant look of acceptance. "Dora…she didn't make it." I gasped and covered my mouth with both hands. I couldn't believe it.

"No," I breathed. "I'm so sorry, Lupin. How…how did it happen?" My hands had traveled to the sides of my face and remained frozen there.

"It was Lucius Malfoy actually. We had left him alone as he seemed to be withdrawing – he hadn't participated much in the Battle." Lupin began.

"He's always been a coward." Severus muttered. Lupin and I both cast him withering looks. His eyebrows raised as he turned back to the fire, lifting his cup for another swig.

"Anyways… we had decided to leave him be and had moved past when he attacked from behind. I turned to strike back when I saw her fall…" He trailed off, a haunted look in his eyes.

"It's all right, Lupin, you don't need to say more." I reached out to touch his arm, glancing over just in time to see Severus's eyes shift sideways to us and back to the fire. It was difficult to wrap my mind around the thought that she was gone – and made me that much more worried about who might be left.

"Lucius didn't even try to finish me off. He ran as soon as I was distracted. I didn't see him again. After some time, someone pulled me away and I wandered into the woods. I've just been wandering since then." Lupin was looking blankly into the fire and I felt as though his story was over. I was pretty sure now that he wouldn't have any idea about the others anyways.

"Shh!" Severus interrupted my thoughts suddenly as he reached out and sat up ramrod straight in his chair. With Ron sleeping, Lupin in a trance, and myself lost in thought, we weren't making much noise anyways. Still, I strained to hear any abnormal sound outside.

As soon as I heard a twig break, I looked up with wide eyes. "Is it an animal?" I asked hopefully. He gave me a look that told me all I needed to know.


	9. Lily

"I'll get him to rally," He said quietly, nodding at Lupin. "Can you manage Mr. Weasley?" I nodded, though wasn't sure that was completely true.

I crept across the wooden floor, acutely aware of every noise I made. Upon reaching his still form I realized he wasn't actually sleeping. He was curled up on his right side, facing the wall, eyes open but unseeing, his face wet with tears. My heart ached for him immediately, but I knew I needed to push through and get him up.

"Ronald. There's someone outside." I whispered. He blinked but otherwise didn't move.

"Ron," I tried again. "It might be Death Eaters. We need to move." Again he ignored me.

" _Now._ " A voice said in a dangerous voice behind me. Turning, I realized that Severus and a somewhat more aware looking Lupin were standing a few feet away. Ron finally looked over his shoulder at them and slowly uncurled and stood beside me. I put my hand in his and squeezed encouragingly.

"We are going to split and go opposite directions to circle the cottage. Hermione, go with Lupin. We'll meet at the far side and go from there." I nodded and followed the older men as they approached the door.

Severus opened the door slowly and peered out, watching and listening for any immediate signs of danger. In the wee hours of morning, there was a dim light spreading across the sky, fog settling in all around us. I heard his small sigh of frustration and without thinking, I reached out and squeezed his arm. He flinched and looked back at me so I gave him a small nod of encouragement. A strange look crossed his face.

"Go now." Lupin whispered, suddenly in battle mode with his wand at the ready. Severus dragged his eyes away from mine and beckoned Ron to follow him to the right. Then I followed Lupin to the left, hugging the magically transformed outer walls of the structure. I couldn't see anything, but noticed Lupin's eyes moving quickly, a perk of being a werewolf - enhanced eyesight. But we kept moving, meeting Severus and Ron at the far corner. Ron seemed more alert now, thankfully. Severus nodded forward towards the right. Lupin nodded back at him and with a brief glance back at us, he led us off. We moved quickly but silently through the trees.

I glanced back after a few minutes, but could no longer see the cottage. I wasn't sure if we had just traveled that far, or if the fog was thick enough to hide it. I didn't have long to ponder it, however. As I was still looking over my shoulder, something exploded next to my left ear. Someone knocked me over from the side, landing next to me and covering me.

"On the left!" Ron shouted from beside me. He twisted my face up towards him and looked me over.

"All right?" He asked. I nodded quickly and he helped me up into a crouching position. Lupin was now the furthest away – I wasn't sure how Severus had gotten so close so quickly but he was about a yard ahead of me, firing off spells from behind a large boulder.

A twig snapped to my right and I turned just in time to fire off a strong _stupefy_ , knocking the masked attacker into a tree and watched with satisfaction as he slid down the tree trunk and crumpled unconscious onto the forest floor.

"Expelliarmus!" Ron shouted, a blast of light shone from behind me. Ron had just disarmed another Death Eater who immediately flew off in a whirl of black smoke. I glanced over to the area where Severus and Lupin were focusing on. I couldn't see anything, but blasts of light were coming from three different places. Severus thrust his wand forward and a loud grunt indicated his hex had found it's target.

"Ugh!" This grunt came from Ron. I whirled around in time to see him fall to the ground. A quick grasp of his wrist told me he was still alive, just knocked out. This gave me time to move closer to the fight and take out whomever had hit Ron.

There was a slight disturbance in the foggy air to the right and without hesitation Lupin jumped up and ran in that direction. Severus hissed in frustration but he knew as well as I that we couldn't let one of them run lest they call reinforcements. I crawled from behind my tree trunk to squeeze in beside Severus.

"Have they seen you?" I asked quickly.

"I don't think so." Severus said as he shook his head. I sighed in relief.

From the general direction that Lupin had disappeared off to, there was a series of thumps and crashes, a few jets of light and then silence. I waited and watched with baited breath for Lupin to emerge from the mist, but he didn't come. A jet of green light bounced off the boulder Severus was hiding behind and hit the tree in front of me, causing me to dive out of the way. I flung a spell forward where I saw just a hint of a robe blowing in the cool morning breeze. Three quick blasts hit the ground between Severus and I, one of them narrowly missing Ron who had regained consciousness now and was crawling behind a thick bush.

Finally, Lupin emerged from the mist behind us.

"Got a few more tailing me." He said breathlessly. I craned my neck to see three masked faces appear. The two others we were fighting in the opposite direction were just barely visible. Severus stood and brandished his wand spectacularly - a large white blast radiated outwards, sending the Death Eaters flying backwards out of sight and causing myself, Ron and Lupin to fall to the ground. The sudden silence was deafening, my ears rang as I hastily scanned our surroundings, checking for another attacker. No one appeared. I slowly rose to my feet, turning towards Severus.

"I think it's ov –" I froze in my tracks as I saw movement. Severus had seen it first. His eyes had narrowed immediately, then opened wide in disbelief. His jaw dropped, exhaling loudly. There, emerging from the mist blanketing the woods, was a beautiful woman in dirty, torn robes. Her face was full of emotion as she stared directly at Severus. Vibrant amongst the fog was her long red hair.

I felt my own jaw drop open. It was Lily Potter. I watched in shock as Severus's chest caved inward sharply before he dropped to his knees, a sob escaping his lips. As Lily approached him, a small, sad smile graced her lips. She reached out a pale hand towards his cheek. Severus looked as though he were looking at an angel. Perhaps he was. Could we have died? My eyes passed from his face to hers.

Suddenly my hair stood on end. Something was wrong. She couldn't possibly be alive - it had to be a trap. I drew my wand as fast as I could, yelling "Severus, no!" All at once the creature turned toward me, it's brilliant green eyes narrowing coldly at me. Her own wand lifted and I saw in the split second that passed that it was, in fact, Bellatrix's wand.

The moment I had finished screaming my spell, a huge explosion shot me backwards into a tree trunk and everything went black.


	10. Captured

A/N: I still stand by the "T" rating, but this is just a friendly little heads up that there are a few more gory details in this chapter and the next (mostly the next) - nothing too bad though. Cheers!

* * *

The screams woke me. The first things I noticed were the hard, unforgiving floor below my right hip and something soft beneath my head. I craned my neck to look up and saw Ron sitting against the wall, his eyes closed. My head was positioned on his thigh, his left hand resting on my arm. I slowly sat up, fighting through a bit of dizziness and causing Ron to stir. He looked over at me in surprise.

"'Mione," he breathed, "You had me worried." He leaned over and brushed a strand of hair from my face.

"What happened?" I asked. I didn't remember anything after the forest.

"Well, I blacked out for a while so I can't tell you everything but… well, we've been caught." The hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

"What?" I whispered. "Where are we?"

"I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. I only remember catching a glimpse of some woman who looked a bit like Ginny and then all the Death Eaters closing in and then they marched us for a few hours through the woods and into this old abandoned building." I bit my lip and nodded, trying to think where we could possibly be. I wasn't even sure where the cottage in the woods had been located. I looked around quickly and noticed we were alone.

"Where are Lupin and Severus?"

"I wish you'd stop calling him that," Ron said with his face all screwed up. "It's still really weird. Lupin is around here somewhere. It's a large building – probably a warehouse – and they don't seem too concerned about us leaving."

"And Sev- Snape?" I asked, correcting myself when I saw his expression. He looked at me sideways and sighed.

"I don't know. They took him straight away." Another guttural scream echoed through the vast space. Tears sprung to my eyes immediately, thinking the worst.

"Was anyone else here? Do they have other prisoners?" I asked hopefully. It felt terrible, wishing pain on another, but I couldn't bear the thought of those screams coming from Severus's lips.

"Yeah, they led us past three or four others. Two men, a woman and…a child. I don't know how old, maybe eight or nine."

We both became silent as the thought of a child being tortured by Death Eaters settled into our minds. Nausea hit me hard as my intense hatred for the dark side grew.

"Cowards." I spat. Ron looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"They are so afraid of muggle born witches and wizards they have to torture _children_?" I said incredulously.

"You've nailed them, Hermione." Lupin stepped out from behind a pillar not far from us and walked slowly in our direction. He had a few more cuts visible than the last time I saw him but otherwise seemed fine.

"Lupin." I sighed in some relief.

"You might call me Remus now, Hermione. I think you've quite earned the right to use my given name." I could feel myself flush a bit – I felt silly having been calling him by his last name, but it wasn't easy for me to call teachers by anything else.

"Remus." I tested it out. Remus nodded in approval and sank to the floor a few feet away from us.

"What else is this pure-blood obsession but fear of the unknown? There are so few pure blood lines left, they would be breeding with their cousins in no time at all. No, they know pure blood isn't any better. But these... supremacists are afraid that one day the muggleborns will surpass their skill. Just look at you and me. No offense, Ron." Ron gave him a half-smile and a bit of a snort. I smiled at Ron, happy to see a tiny portion of his old self. I adjusted so that I was sitting beside him, resting my head on his shoulder and taking his hand.

"How long have we been here?" I asked, suddenly realizing there were no visible windows – just dim fluorescent lights overhead.

"The better part of a day." Remus answered.

"What have you been up to?" Ron asked, a bit of joking in his voice. Remus didn't answer for a moment, then looked Ron levelly in the eye.

"I've been propositioned." This made me sit up straighter.

"What? By _them_?" I asked. He bobbed his head yes.

"Seems they want another werewolf on their side." He said wryly. Ron and I exchanged glances.

"They let you go when you turned them down?" Ron asked, reading my thoughts.

"I didn't tell them 'no'." My jaw dropped.

"Surely you didn't tell them 'yes'?" I said, trying to keep my voice quiet. He looked at me thoughtfully.

"It could be beneficial for us if I were a double agent as well."

"It's too dangerous!" I exclaimed. "And anyways, what about Teddy?" Remus's face darkened.

"I don't even know that he's alive, Hermione."

"But surely Molly has him, or Tonks's mum."

"How do I know either of them are alive?" Ron inhaled sharply beside me. I looked over at him to find him looking quite ill. This was all too much. There were too many questions, too many uncertainties… another long scream filled the air and broke my train of thought.

"Do _you_ know where Severus is?" I asked Remus. He shook his head sadly. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my breathing level and fight off the nausea. "We need a plan." I announced.

"Remus, how many Death Eaters are here?" He rubbed his face tiredly before answering.

"I think there are four. Bellatrix, Mulciber and Greyback for sure. There was another but they were still masked and robed. At the other end of this building there is a door to the outside and a staircase to an office that they are in. Greyback and Mulciber are guarding the door."

"Where are the others we saw when we arrived?" Ron asked.

"I'm not sure," Remus admitted. "One man was being led out when I was being talked to. The woman was cowering in the corner of the office… looked like she might have been tortured a bit before I saw her." A heavy intensity settled over us.

"If we escape, we need to get the others out too." Ron said suddenly. I looked at him with admiration but deep down I knew it might not be that easy. One exchanged glance with Remus and I knew he felt the same. I vowed silently to do what we could.

"If we don't find Severus before we get out, he did mutter something about the Cornish Coast." Remus said. I nodded and chewed on my lip thoughtfully. He wouldn't have said it if there wasn't importance behind it. I hoped we'd find him here, but if not, we would be going to the coast.


	11. Emerald

A/N: I own none of this magical world and make no money from this...

Also, just a reminder that there may be a few more gory details in this chapter, but nothing too bad.

* * *

"Oh, Remus!" Bellatrix called from the top of the stairs. There was a sort of archway between the vast open space that we were in and the office. We had moved, over the past hour or two to a spot out of sight of all of the Death Eaters near that archway. Remus stood and nodded to us. We nodded back. This was it, time to attempt our escape plan. We listened to Remus's deliberately loud footsteps across to the staircase and up to the office.

This plan required complete trust in one another, fast reflexes and impeccable timing. The moment we heard the door close, Ron squeezed my side and walked through the archway as well. I hugged the wall, listened and waited.

"I want to talk to Bellatrix." Ron said with authority. Someone sniggered.

"Oh do you, now?" Mulciber sneered. "Well no one sees her without an invitation."

"I want to join the Death Eaters." Ron spoke louder. This elicited laughter from both of the guards.

"That's rich! Why would the Dark Lord ever want _you_?" An unfamiliar voice asked.

"I'm a pure blood." Ron said, his voice sounding a bit less confident. "And...and I have brothers...who I could convince to join me." I heard some hushed words and footsteps closer to the wall. Moving as quietly as possible, I inched as close to the edge as I dared and craned my neck to hear them better.

"He _could_ be good bait. Lure Charlie Weasley in." Mulciber said quietly. It sounded like Greyback grunted in approval.

"Alright, Weasley." Mulciber's voice dripped with disdain. "Let's go." I heard their footsteps ascend the stairs and realized with a heavy heart that it meant I'd be left with the werewolf. We had hoped that _he_ would have been the one to take Ron upstairs. However, I also realized that Remus and Ron would have three Death Eaters to deal with and I only had him. I gave myself a quick pep talk. There was the sound of the office door being closed. Time to move.

As I rounded the corner, a shout of surprise sounded from the office. This distracted Greyback just long enough for me to rush him with a twisted crowbar I had found in the rubble of the warehouse. There was a sickening crunching sound as the metal bar connected with his cheek. He fell, but didn't black out. I saw his wand in his right hand, but his grip was loose. In one swift movement, I snatched it up and cast a body bind. He was yelling incoherently but not loud enough to be of any concern. I dashed up the stairs to help the men.

As I opened the door a jet of red light hit the wall beside me, barely missing my left arm. I ducked and let the door close behind me, barricading myself behind an overturned table. A quick glance around the other side told me that Mulciber was lying still on the floor. Ron was crouched behind an armchair, blood smeared across his face, and he had his arms around the child he had seen upon our arrival.

Remus was a few feet away behind a desk, casting spells over his head at Bellatrix and the masked Death Eater. A pair of feet were visible also, but I couldn't see who they belonged to.

"Hermione!" Remus yelled. I turned quickly to my left but didn't raise my wand in time. Bellatrix had made her way around the room to me and kicked out her leg, the heel of her shoe connecting painfully with my cheekbone. I twisted and fell over backwards, dropping Greyback's wand in the process. I heard the door open and knew it was because of my mistake she had escaped.

I grabbed the wand, let out a cry of frustration and cast a powerful _expelliarmus_ across the room. I hit the masked figure head on, sending him crashing into the back wall. Breathing heavily, Remus and I moved slowly towards him. The figure squirmed in pain, his upper body hidden behind a pile of boxes. As we got closer, however, there was no mistaking that brilliant white hair.

"Lucius." Remus growled. It was the most unnerving sound I had heard come from him – ever. After a moment of thought, I decided to leave him to it, and went back to help Ron get the child away and look for the others.

It turned out that the feet I had seen belonged to one of the men who had been a casualty of our plan. The woman was lying unconscious beneath a pile of paper and debris. Ron picked her up and I lifted the child - a scared looking young girl with brown hair and wide blue eyes. We made our way downstairs and out the door. I noticed that Greyback was nowhere to be seen – most likely Bellatrix had taken him on her way out. No doubt Voldemort wouldn't be keen on losing the one werewolf he _did_ have.

Once she woke, the woman informed us with a thick French accent that the child's father was the one we had found upstairs and the other man had been taken to Voldemort. After some discussion, she told us she would take the child with her to find her family. They thanked us and wished us well. We watched them go and waited for Remus by a clump of trees, keeping a lookout in case Bellatrix came back with reinforcements.

"Oh, 'Mione," Ron moaned, gently touching my chin with his hand. "That looks terrible." My hand flew to my cheek – it was quite swollen and painful to touch.

"It's all right, we're free. That's all that matters. Are _you_ all right?" I asked. He nodded, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"It was from the little girl's dad." He said quietly. I nodded, silently wishing there was something we could have done differently to get them all out alive.

It was quite some time until Remus finally emerged from the warehouse. Looking grim and covered in substances I'd rather not identify. He shed his button-up shirt and used the inside to wipe himself down, which helped considerably. He then tossed the shirt on the ground and walked over to us, handing Ron and I our own wands.

"These were on Lucius." He said simply. We nodded and tucked the stolen wands away, keeping our own wands out just in case.

"Well," Ron said, breaking some of the tension, "Cornish Coast, then?"

*/*

We walked along the coast with far too little caution. We could be seen by anyone, but Remus's relaxed demeanor was too contagious. He had been in much better spirits since we left the warehouse over 24 hours ago. It would have been a bit unnerving if we didn't know he would do anything for Tonks. I didn't want to know what had happened in that office with Lucius; but in my eyes, whatever it was, he had deserved.

"I didn't kill him." Remus said, suddenly beside me and reading my thoughts. My steps faltered for a moment in surprise. This made him chuckle a bit.

"Oh I wanted to," Remus said earnestly. "But I couldn't let myself sink to that level. Dora wouldn't have wanted it."

"You're right." I said, my respect and admiration for him growing. "Though I wouldn't have blamed you for it." Remus gave me a half smile and nodded over at Ron who was walking closer to the water line, a few yards away.

"I daresay you'd do the same for him." I looked back at Remus, confused.

"I'd probably want revenge on anyone who hurt my friends. I certainly want revenge for Harry." Remus's brow furrowed as he glanced between me and Ron.

"Oh, well I… I thought… never mind." He trailed off and looked down. I was about to ask him if he thought Ron and I were together when Ron's voice sliced through the sea breeze.

"Oi! Over there!"

We looked where he was pointing – several yards down the beach was a gap in the rocks. A cave entrance. And beside it, glinting in the soft sunlight was a tiny emerald.

"Severus." I breathed.


	12. Potion

I half-ran to the cave entrance, picking up the small gem and caressing it with my fingers. The cave itself was dark and damp, the sound of water dripping echoing through to the entrance. There wasn't any other sound besides the water slowly lapping up against the shore, and suddenly I was terrified of what we would find here. What if it was a trap? What if he was hurt? As much as I wanted to bolt in and find him, I waited for the men to catch up just in case I would need back-up.

The cave was surprisingly deep; it branched off a few times but Remus quickly pointed out some tracks in the dirty floor. It looked like Severus had been limping when he entered here. After a minute or two, Ron spotted a hint of light coming from behind a large boulder on our left. We simultaneously drew our wands, and I held my breath as we crept closer. All it took was one glimpse of those dragon hide boots for me to abandon all sensible thought and run to his side.

"Gods, Severus, what happened to you?" I asked in a shaky voice. Though I wasn't exactly what one would call 'clean', I still took off my sweater to wipe his face. With dirt, sweat and blood staining the majority of it, he looked almost unrecognizable. The more I cleaned, however, the more I noticed he had somehow become even more pale. His dirty hair was stuck to his face with sweat, and he had one arm wrapped securely around his midsection. I could see from his torn sleeve that the skin around his Dark Mark was blistered and red – they must've tortured him.

"They…they thought I was...helping you…but…Bella grew angry… when the Dark Lord believed…my lies." He said weakly, gulping in air between words. Remus crouched down and offered him some water. As he took a few tiny sips, I looked him over more thoroughly. After prying his arm away, I found a large gash on his side, most likely accompanied by some bruised or broken ribs.

Frustrated by how much the blood – both new and dried – was obstructing my view, I began waving my hands across his skin whispering " _Tergeo_ " over and over until it was gone. Then I noticed the blood flow didn't stop on his side.

"Remus." I gestured to his side. He nodded once and got to work, performing the _Vulnera Sanentur_ incantation. A few moments later, he lowered his hands and looked at me grimly.

"He needs blood replenishing potion."

I looked over at Severus, taking in his sweaty brow and sheet-white skin. My left hand shakily brushed a lock of hair lying on his forehead back, surprising even myself with the tender act. My right hand still held his limp hand, and I avoided eye contact with Ron, whom I could feel watching me intently.

"How would we get it?" I whispered. "We can't just waltz through Diagon Alley at the moment." Remus did nothing but stare at me for another minute and then turn back to Severus's now-unconscious form.

"I'll build us a fire." Ron muttered from behind me, clearing his throat and shuffling off in search of kindling.

"We'll have to keep him warm, try to get water into him as often as possible… we won't be able to move for a long time if we want to take him with us." Remus said as he wrapped Severus's cloak tighter around him.

"We can't leave him." I said. When he looked back up at me, I could see something akin to pity in his eyes.

"No," I said while shaking my head. "I could never leave someone behind. Besides he's done too much for us to leave him to fend for himself now." Remus continued to stare at me for several more seconds before he rose to join Ron.

I looked down at Severus once more. I could understand what Remus was saying – it wasn't out of line, not now anyways. Only yesterday he was contemplating putting his life on the line by becoming a double agent to do who-knows-what for the other side. We all would have to make sacrifices in the time ahead. That being said…as I took in the innocent and unguarded sleeping face of Severus Snape, I knew I couldn't leave him.

*/*

A few hours after our arrival, we all sat around a small fire. Severus was still out cold, curled up beside the boulder we originally found him beside. We had all taken off our jackets and put them on him in an effort to regulate his body temperature. Though it was nearly summer, the evenings were still cool and in the darkness of the cave it was actually rather chilly.

I stared into the fire lost in thought. I had no idea what we needed to do or where we needed to go. We needed Severus. He was the only one with the information we needed. We also needed to find the remaining living Order Members. I covered my face with my hands and let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'll go." I peeked through my hands to see Ron staring determinedly into the fire. I lowered my hands slowly, trying to decide if it was worse to let him go or attempt to convince him to stay. He glanced up at me and answered as if he was reading my mind.

"'Mione, don't ask me to stay. I've been talking about finding my family for a few weeks now and this is a good reason to try to find them and get some answers. I'm a pure blood so even if they catch me, they probably won't treat me as badly. I'll keep out of sight and be back as soon as I can." I looked into his eyes and knew I wouldn't be able to talk him out of it. My breath became unsteady as I thought of all the things I wanted to say to him.

"I think I'll just go scout the entrance of the cave…" Remus mumbled as he rose and walked off. I was thankful for the privacy. Crawling over to where Ron was sitting, I hooked arms with him and rested my cheek on his shoulder.

"Oh Ron." I breathed. He turned his head and kissed my hair, then laid his head atop my own.

"All I want is to check on my family, Hermione. I'll feel so much better once I know they're safe. They can give me information on the others, too. I'm sure of it.

"I need this after losing Harry. And then I can help you save _him_ , too." I glanced up at Severus again, still pale and unconscious. With a resigned sigh, I straightened up and looked Ron dead on.

"You be careful, Ronald Weasley. I can't lose you too." He gave me a half smile and pulled me in for a long hug.

He only stayed a few more minutes, talking with Remus about staying out of sight and how to obtainthe potion Severus needed. Just before he left the cave and ventured out into the darkness of night, he turned back to give me a tight hug and kiss on the cheek, pulling back to smile at me one last time. He disappeared almost instantly into the night but Remus and I stayed at the entrance to our little cave for quite some time.

*/*

Over the next few days, Remus and I passed the time by taking turns venturing into a small village nearby. Sometimes we'd need supplies, sometimes we just needed a walk, but once after a discussion about our likes and hobbies, Remus came back with a tattered book about the sea. It wasn't necessarily one I'd choose, but I took it gratefully and read it in the dim light as near to the entrance as I dared.

From time to time folks walking along the water near us would cause their voice to echo and our hearts to beat faster. The evenings were quiet and the days grew long as we waited for Ron to return. Severus didn't exactly wake, but went in and out of consciousness, mumbling incoherent things from time to time. He would take little sips of water here or there but he was still deathly pale and didn't seem to be getting any better.

"When is the next full moon?" I asked suddenly one evening as we sat by the fire.

"In a week or so." Remus replied.

"What do you plan to do?" Remus rubbed his hands over his face before answering.

"Well, I'll go off on my own into the woods somewhere away from other people. After its over, I'll find my way back." I nodded, biting my lip and worrying about whether he'd be able to find us or not.

"Hermione," he said quietly, leaning in towards me. "No one is safe anymore. It doesn't matter where we are or who we are with. It is a dangerous time. But that does not mean we need to run away and hide. This is my life and I understand what needs to be done. You'll have to trust that I'll use my head and stay out of sight or harm's way."

"And that you'll find us again." I said firmly.

"Yes, that too." He gave me a small, wry smile which I returned. He was right, of course; there was no guarantee that he would return safely, but there was also no guarantee that we would be safe all together hiding out in this cave. What will be, will be. We just need to keep our wits about us and use our heads… though having Severus back to his normal self would be immensely helpful….

"Hello? 'Mione?" My head snapped to my right, all wariness that I should be exercising gone at the sound of my best friend's voice.


	13. Burlawn

A/N: I own none of this magical world and make no money from it...

* * *

It felt wonderful to be in a civilized location again. After much discussion, we had agreed to make our way to a hamlet called Burlawn which was quite near a decent sized wooded area. There were a few farms around which had potential to be a problem, but it was close to the cave that we previously were hiding in and we all decided we could use a decent place to stay while Remus would be going through his change.

We were staying at a small bed and breakfast on a farm – it was taking up quite a good chunk of the money we all pooled but the civilization was worth it. Remus had immediately charmed it to turn muggles away, and though I did feel a bit bad for Jayne, the owner, it was for her safety as well as ours. She was a sweet woman who was an excellent cook and loved talking about their farm. Her husband and children lived with her too but we didn't see much of them.

This morning after breakfast, Remus had disappeared for a few hours and returned with fresh clothing for all of us. I gratefully took the tissue wrapped parcel he handed me and made my way to the wash room. Peeling off my dirty clothes that I'd had for nearly a month now felt wonderful. The shower that followed was even better. I was finally feeling human again. In the package I discovered a flowy camisole top with a floral pattern, a pair of skinny jeans, some under things, and a thick woolen sweater with wooden buttons. I dressed quickly and dried my hair, pulling it back into a French braid with only a few tendrils escaping and finally left to join the others.

Ron looked much more like himself in a white T-shirt, jeans and a V-neck blue sweater – his coppery red hair gleaming after a good wash. Remus was also back in mine and Ron's room, wearing a simple pair of jeans and a plaid button up. After a shower and a good meal, he was looking much better, his coloring returning a bit more each day. They both nodded at me as I entered our room and tossed my old clothes in the bin. They were discussing something in private, their voices hushed, so after skimming through my book about the sea for a bit, I decided to go and see what I could do about the holes in my trainers.

I exited the room and turned right, walking down the hall towards the stairs. Three doors down I saw the bathroom door almost closed. Frowning, I went to push it open – I thought I had done so when I left it earlier. Just before my hand touched the doorknob, however, I saw movement inside. I froze, peering inside and catching a glimpse of the reflection in the mirror. A figure moving inside set me on edge and I immediately reached into my sleeve, hand squeezing my wand tightly. The figure moved closer to the mirror. I squinted and realized it was Severus.

Color had almost immediately returned to Severus's face when Ron brought back the potion and poured it into his mouth. After only a few minutes, he had begun to wake. It wasn't long at all until he was sitting up and drinking water. We had stayed in the cave one day longer, making sure Severus was regaining his strength. Now that he had eaten a good meal, he seemed almost like a new person.

My brain was telling me that I should leave, but I was rooted to the spot. From my hidden vantage point, I could see through a slight fog in the mirror that he was getting dressed. Remus had told him that only blue jeans were available here, much to Severus's displeasure. But now, I saw him standing in only the jeans, toweling off his hair. It was strange to see him this way, doing something so routine that I found myself sort of fascinated. The muscles in his arms bulged slightly as he reached up to dry his hair, his chest and stomach not chiseled but hinted at strong muscles underneath the scarred skin. I took it all in and swallowed hard. He froze all of a sudden and I looked upward to find his eyes locked with mine in the mirror. I felt my eyes widen a bit and my heart beating furiously, but I still didn't move. A moment later, however, one of the room doors behind me opened and snapped me out of it, turning quickly and hurrying down the stairs.

I was momentarily disoriented once I reached the first floor, my brain not quite comprehending what I came down for. After a moment or two of wandering around, my eyes landed upon our dirty shoes piled by the back door. Rushing over, I scooped up my tattered-looking trainers and sat at the table, looking them over to see what I could do to repair them.

"Those have seen better days." I jumped and spun in my chair to see Jayne, the innkeeper, looking at me in amusement. "Sorry, did I startle you?"

"Erm, no, sorry…I was just lost in my thoughts." I stammered, feeling my cheeks flush. I looked down at my shoes again, sticking my finger through a hole in the side. I looked up once more when I heard Jayne tutting.

"Now, now, those won't do, will they?" She said, putting down a basket of eggs and wiping her hands. "Hold on a moment." She turned and disappeared out the kitchen door. A second later Ron appeared.

"Hey, 'Mione. Fancy a chat?" He asked, leaning on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. I nodded with a smile.

"Could I meet you outside somewhere? Jayne is coming back in a moment…"

"Sure, I'll just go for a stroll – join me when you're through." He squeezed my shoulder as he passed and went out the back. Before he had even closed the door, Jayne had returned.

"Give these a try, dear. I think they should be about your size." She held out a pair of dirty but otherwise gently used wellies. I took them, feeling a bit emotional at the gesture.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "I don't know how to repay you." Jayne shook her head and smiled.

"Oh never mind that. Think of it as a gift for your mother. I can't imagine one of my children out on their own as young as you. She must be quite a woman to have raised such a strong, independent young woman." Tears sprang to my eyes. The memory that always played first (and I tried desperately to avoid) when I thought of my parents was of staring at the back of my mother's head as I erased her memories of me. I had been close with my parents and I would give anything to be embraced by my mother now. Pain filled my heart and I struggled to retain my composure.

The sound of someone clearing their throat made me look up finally. Severus stood a bit awkwardly at the door. He wore dark blue jeans, his usual black boots, a gray button up shirt and thick black sweater with brown leather elbow patches. His dark hair was clean and dry, and he looked quite healthy for a man who was incapacitated only a few days ago.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked, looking at me out the side of his eye.

"No, no," Jayne said warmly, "Just some woman-to-woman talk." She turned and smiled at me.

"I hope they work well, dear." With that, she gave Severus a parting nod and left. There was an intensely awkward few moments of silence after she exited. I was still trying to blink back tears and still holding both my trainers and the wellies in my lap. Severus shifted uncomfortably for a moment and then crossed to the cupboard and retrieved a glass. As he stood at the sink filling it with water, he cleared his throat once more.

"New footwear, then?" He asked with a strange lilt in his voice.

"Yes, an old pair of her daughter's." I replied, frustrated that I couldn't keep my voice steady. He paused a moment after filling his glass.

"Are you…do you need…can I…help you in some way?" He stammered. The window in front of the sink offered a slight reflection – enough to see him roll his eyes and give his head a slight shake, lifting the glass and taking a large swig of tap water.

"Erm… no, I…" He turned and looked at me, an intense gaze that made my skin tingle. I was momentarily distracted, wanting to tell him everything and run to his arms for comfort – but that very thought made me come to my senses. I shook my head quickly, pulling on the boots as quickly as I could. "Pardon me, Ron is waiting outside." I murmured, turning and walking out the back door. As I walked across the lawn, I glanced back once, biting my lip in confusion. There, barely visible, he stood a few feet back from the door, watching me. I nearly turned back, but I knew Ron had something important to speak to me about. I took a deep breath and turned my back on the house once more.


	14. More

"So no one has heard from Bill or Charlie?" I asked. Ron shook his head.

"Nor from Percy. Mum's afraid they're keeping him against his will but I don't know." Ron shrugged.

"But everyone else is safe?"

"Yeah, I caught them before they left for Romania to look for Charlie. Ginny was pretty broken up about the news…." He trailed off, looking a bit sick.

"Poor Ginny. The way they looked at each other…" Every time I thought of Harry lately I experienced a deep sadness but also intense hatred towards Voldemort. Usually it ended with my blood boiling, longing for revenge. This was one of those times.

"She asked to come with me, but I want her with mum. I know nothing will happen to her that way. Mum's vicious when it comes to protecting us."

"How did she take you leaving again?"

"Not well, but she understood." We shared a moment of silence, watching the sun fade slowly in the early evening sky.

"Any news on the others?" I asked finally. Ron sighed.

"Not much. There have been rumors that Kingsley is in London. And then there's this." He pulled a worn piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it; it was a picture from a muggle newspaper. The story was about unseasonably cold temperatures and unusually high numbers of patients diagnosed with depression reported in Scotland. The picture was of a long line of rough looking people waiting outside a clinic.

"So the Dementors are in Scotland then. Probably making themselves comfortable at Hogwarts." I said bitterly.

"That's not all though." Ron said. "Look." He pointed to the background of the picture. Just barely visible was a small figure poking out of an alleyway. A tabby cat with distinct rectangular markings around the eyes was peering at the people in line. I let out a sob and clamped a hand over my mouth.

 _Professor McGonagall!_

*/*

"It certainly does look like her animagus form." Remus said, finally handing it over to Severus. I had almost immediately fled back to the house, Ron trailing after me. We were upstairs in one of the bedrooms, Ron telling them what he had told me. I was chewing my lip like mad as Severus examined the picture.

"Well?" I asked, unable to wait any longer. He glanced up at me and raised one eyebrow.

"I cannot be completely positive…"

"Oh, Severus," Remus sighed, "We're not asking you for confirmation. We're asking what you think – what you _feel_." Severus gave Remus an almost comical look of exasperation.

"Very well. I _feel_ that it would certainly suit Minerva to stay close to the school and keep an eye on things."

"Well I believe that is as close to a 'yes' as we shall get." Remus said to Ron and I. He put an arm around each of us and led us towards the door to the hall.

"I'm afraid I must go. I can feel the time is drawing near." He said quietly. I nodded.

"We've been expecting it. Please be safe and come back to us soon." Without realizing what I was doing, I found myself hugging him. Over time, we had shared so much that in some ways he seemed more of a friend than mentor. I pulled back, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Remus, however, simply gave me a smile.

"I will do my best. In the meantime," He leaned in closer and glanced back at Severus. "Do what you can to help him. I can't imagine it will be long before he is summoned and it won't be a walk in the park."

"Done." Ron nodded.

"And work on where we're off to next. I would say London – Kingsley is quite an asset, though so is Minerva… when I return, we'll go. But – ", He broke off, looking at me with an odd expression.

"But?" I asked. He hesitated another moment before replying.

"If I do not return within a week's time, you must go without me." I shook my head vigorously, but Ron spoke first.

"I'll make sure we continue on if we don't hear from you." Remus nodded thankfully at him. With one last look at me, he stepped out into the hall, turning back for a small wave before he went on his way.

*/*

A couple of days later, I had left mine and Ron's bedroom while Ron napped to go in search of something to read. Downstairs, I wandered into the living room and browsed through the books on the solitary bookcase. Smiling when I found a guide book about off-beat attractions in London, I figured it was a good place to start finding ideas of where to look for Kingsley.

It was a rainy, overcast day; Jayne had put on coffee that morning, so I poured myself a small cup and curled up by the fire. We had been lying low since Remus had left. So far, Jayne had not reported anything of concern in the nearby farming community which was a relief. While it would be nice to know he was nearby and well by hearing that an animal had been taken, or something had been seen, we couldn't risk the suspicion. I quickly lost myself in the book, making mental notes on anything I deemed a decent hiding place.

"Planning a holiday?" His voice startled me, causing me to spill a bit of coffee out of my cup and onto the rug.

"Blast." I breathed, putting the cup down and examining the stain.

"Let me." Severus said softly, crouching down and touching his wand to the plush material. "Tergeo" He whispered. The stain disappeared and a heavy tension hung in the air.

"Thank you." I whispered. He nodded, but remained crouched down beside me.

"Just returning the favor – besides, it was my fault to begin with." I turned to look at him finally.

"You remember the cave? You seemed so out of it." He looked at me with intensity in his eyes.

"I remember." He said simply. He looked down and as I followed his gaze, he flexed his left hand. The sensation of holding his hand in the cave came rushing back to me, along with the worry that we might lose him. I bit my lip, not able to pry my eyes from his hand, though I could feel his eyes had settled back on my face. When I didn't say anything, he stood.

"I apologize." He muttered, turning back towards the kitchen. I finally looked up at him.

"You can stay." I said quickly, the words pouring out of my mouth. "If you like." I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I wasn't sure what had changed between us, but I found myself longing to know more about this man who had done so much for me.

He hesitated a moment, then turned back, his expression a vaguely suspicious one. I gestured to the armchair across from me. He glanced between it and me and then crossed to it and sat gracefully. He, too, had a book, though I couldn't make out the title.

"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde," he said wryly, "it has a few interesting parallels I can relate to." He said it in what I would assume was sarcasm or some attempt at humor (it was hard to tell with him), but it only made me sad. I couldn't imagine what his life had been like – or what he was facing in the coming days, weeks, months… the overwhelming thought that he may never know life without this burden crushed me.

"Severus, I hope you know how much we appreciate you and your help with everything." I said earnestly.

"It started long before your time, Hermione."

"But here you are still helping us, even when you have no obligation to do so."

"No obligation but promises to the dead and a nagging conscience." I smirked a bit at that, and enjoyed the touch of humor that graced his dark eyes.

"And that nagging conscience requires you to keep _us_ safe as well?" His lips twitched.

"Perhaps there's more to it than that." He said so quietly, I barely made out what he said.

"Is there?" I asked. In that moment, looking into his eyes, I felt a strange, warm feeling spread through my belly. The moment stretched and seemed to freeze time. He blinked quickly and looked past me.

"Afternoon." His deep voice betrayed nothing.

"Good afternoon!" Jayne's voice sounded from the entrance to the kitchen. "Severus, would you be willing to lend a hand? I can't quite reach the platter I need for dinner."

"Of course." Severus said, placing the book on a small table beside his chair. He then rose and crossed to the kitchen, leaving me acutely aware of how empty the room felt without him.


	15. Grimmauld Place

A/N: Just a reminder that I own none of this world or these characters and make no money from this...

* * *

It had been nearly a week since Remus had left us and I was growing anxious. Ron and Severus had agreed that we should be moving in about 36 hours. When Ron had told me, I nodded reluctantly and said I had to go for a walk, hoping to see that familiar face appear somewhere nearby.

Now, I found myself standing by the kitchen windows, staring obsessively into the woods and holding a cup of tea tightly in my hands.

"Your anxiety won't help anyone." His voice sent shivers down my spine. I snapped out of my trance and quickly took a sip of tea, only to find it cold and bitter. I forced myself to swallow after a minute and glanced up to see a bit of mirth cross his features.

"Afternoon." I said uneasily. I had been avoiding him as much as possible since our encounter by the fire. The feelings and reactions I had experienced that day were confusing and with everything else going on, I simply didn't have time to sort them out. He seemed to know that I needed space and had only approached me when necessary. However, there were several times I looked up or walked into a room and found his eyes on me.

"I just came down for a cup myself." Severus said after an uneasy pause. He crossed to the stove and began heating the water. I emptied my cup and washed it out, thankful for a chore to keep me busy. As soon as I had placed it in the dishrack, I turned, leaning against the edge of the counter and I glanced up at him out of the corner of my eye. He, of course, was standing regally, hands folded behind himself and looking back at me. As soon as I made eye contact, his gaze dropped to the floor.

"Severus, I –"

"He's back!" Ron called as we heard his loud footsteps coming down the stairs. The tension between us snapped like a rubber band as Ron rounded the corner into the kitchen. He bounced over to a bowl of fruit on the counter and picked out an apple, taking a large bite and pointing out the window.

Sure enough, Remus was walking down the little road to the left of the house. His shirt was torn and dirty, he was in need of a shower, but otherwise he looked unharmed. I sighed in relief and turned to look at Severus. He had poured his tea and was watching Remus approach as he sipped it. His eyes darted over to meet mine and I caught the tightness in them. I wanted so badly to speak with him, but I doubted we'd have the time alone before we moved on to our next location.

"Welcome back!" Ron said in good humor – the visit with his family and the homey accommodations had done him wonders. He clapped Remus on the back once he entered.

"Remus." Severus sniffed before turning and taking his tea to the sitting room. Remus half-smiled and shook his head at Severus's retreating form and then turned to me. I smiled warmly at him.

"It's good to see you." I said. His smile grew a bit.

"And you, Hermione." He nodded at me and then began walking past me, hesitating for a moment by my side, his hand raising to touch my arm but stopped suddenly and then continued on past me as if he thought better of it. I caught Ron watching, raising an eye brow and pausing in the middle of chewing. Once Remus had disappeared upstairs, Ron finished his bite and walked over to me.

"What was _that_?" He asked.

"I honestly have _no_ idea." I said, beginning to think I was actually going mad.

*/*

The trek to London had been difficult to say the least. There had been the debacle of my anxiety attack after Severus went off to find Jayne and her family to erase their memories of us, a few days of walking through woods and fields to Exeter, a bus to Bristol and then finally a train to London... not to mention the days of hearing Ron complain about how much he missed Jayne's cooking. Severus and Remus were both quiet and stoic, always strong and able. I was often lost in thought and more emotional than I should have been. Ron was surprisingly talkative and mostly good humored. I was glad to have him to lift my spirits and take my mind off of everything.

We had arrived on the last train, getting in a bit after midnight. Remus had mentioned in passing how he wished Grimmauld Place was still an option and after a moment, an idea occurred to me.

"Why don't we try it?" Three sets of eyes looked back at me in astonishment.

"Are you mad?" Ron asked incredulously.

"What?" Severus hissed.

"Well, perhaps Hermione has a point." Remus said slowly, working it all out in his mind. "We could certainly try at least. Keep an eye on it from nearby…"

"But we compromised it." Ron said.

"Severus, do you know if they are currently using it?" I asked, hopeful for some good news.

"The last I heard, they left after discovering it was empty."

Ron, Remus and I all exchanged looks and that was that. We moved quickly through the city to Claremount Square. Once we arrived we were instantly on high alert. We kept to the shadows – though it was still dark out, the lamplights simply provided too much vulnerability for us. Ron mentioned his Deluminator, but Severus thought it was too risky. I was chewing my lip, heart beating fast as Remus scouted the street past our hiding place in the alley.

"It's been a few hours," Remus said finally, "I think we should move closer." We all agreed, and got ready to run. Remus drew his wand and took a deep breath.

"We move on three. One, two…" A sharp inhale behind us made Remus stop and we all turned to see Severus clutching his left forearm. It seemed like time stood still as I put together what that meant. His eyes traveled in slow motion from his arm to my face. My heart lurched at the emotions I saw there. He looked into my eyes for a moment before quietly saying "My apologies." And then he swept away, his long, graceful stride no different than I remembered it at Hogwarts – only his billowing cloak missing.

We watched him retreat back down the alley, disappear from sight, and quickly heard the crack of his departure. Though I could hear the movements of Ron and Remus behind me, I couldn't tear my eyes away from where he rounded the corner.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, touching me gently on my arm. I swallowed hard and nodded. I had known that it was only a matter of time until Severus would be taken away from us…and that we needed to move on…but for some reason it felt like some unknown part of me had left with him.


	16. A Kiss

"Morning!" I glanced up from my perch beside the window to see Ron walking in, still wearing his disheveled pajamas. I shot a smirk at Remus who was sitting nearby, eating a bit of toast. Ron sat down and began shoveling food onto his plate while I went back to my tattered book.

Grimmauld Place had been clear. Ransacked and a bit worse for wear, but clear. We had laid low the first day, just waiting for an enemy to walk through the door. The second day we all started to relax a bit. We took showers for the first time in days, ate some real food, and got some decent rest.

The third and fourth days we had fallen into routine. Remus always rose first, checking over everything and getting a fire started for the tea. I woke next, cooking up some eggs and toast while he finished the tea. We sometimes chatted a bit but often he began pouring over copies of the Prophet for clues to where Kingsley might be, while I lost myself in a book or to my thoughts as I gazed out the small window.

Inevitably, those thoughts always turned to Severus. Since the war and since… _Harry…_ I was sure he wouldn't be of much use; and though I had known deep down that one day he would again be summoned (and really, we were lucky to have gotten so much time with him as it was), a part of me had hoped it would be a long while away…if ever. I tried desperately hard to keep away the thought that he might have been tortured…or worse. It was surprising that he hadn't been called after we escaped the warehouse – which could either be a good or bad thing. I worried my lip as I sat, staring intensely at a particularly foreboding storm cloud and almost missed Ron's words.

"So when do we move again?" He asked nonchalantly. I quickly looked over at him, shocked. Remus's murmured response left me equally appalled.

"I've been thinking maybe in the next day or two would be best. There have been –"

"Are you joking?" I said loudly, looking back and forth between their quizzical expressions. "We cannot leave until he comes back." There was a tense silence as they took this in and glanced towards each other.

"Hermione…" Ron started.

"No! Ron, how could you even think that way?" I heard a soft thud and glanced down to see my book on the floor. I hadn't realized I'd stood, nor had I felt the book slip from my fingers. My gaze traveled from the floor to Remus, shaking my head slowly at him.

"I told you to leave me if I hadn't returned, Hermione. He would have honored that." His resolve broke a bit as he noticed my tears. "He'd want the same, I know that."

I exhaled sharply, giving Ron one last look of betrayal before striding angrily out the door and upstairs to the library. I sat roughly at the piano, a godawful noise coming from the keys as I smashed my elbows down and buried my face in my hands. My emotions were out of control. In some way I knew logically that everything they said was correct and realistic, but an overwhelming feeling of betrayal, helplessness and heartbreak was blinding me. As my breath quickened and the tears fell faster and faster, I felt rather than heard Remus enter the room and sit beside me. I tried unsuccessfully to stop crying, but he didn't move or speak… and somehow that helped.

"I'm sorry." He murmured several minutes later when my eyes had finally run dry. I sniffled and wiped my face with my sleeve, but didn't respond.

"I cannot imagine how difficult this all is to you. You've carried so many burdens in your young life. It must be overwhelming."

"It is." I whispered. His long, thin fingers found mine and squeezed them tight. I squeezed back after a moment.

"I'm here for you. Whenever you need to talk."

"I wouldn't know where to begin," I sniffled, "I don't even fully understand it myself." There was a silence after this and after a moment I turned to look at him. I wasn't successful, however, as all at once his lips were on mine.

It wasn't unpleasant. It was an innocent kiss, soft but comforting. His lips were rough, as I'm sure were mine. I caught a whiff of musk and the outdoors upon him, and could taste the morning tea we had shared. He stopped then, only withdrawing a fraction of an inch, as if waiting for me to make the next move. I may be confused about a great deal but I did know I didn't want to continue.

We stayed there a moment, close enough to feel each other exhale. My mind churning quickly, I took note of my thoughts. I felt nothing. I found him attractive, sure, but not in that way. His kiss was nothing special, and left much to be desired. I realized with a burst of heat deep in my belly that I wished it was another set of lips in front of me. He finally pulled back then, his eyes still closed.

"Remus, I –" I started, unsure of what to say. At the sound of my voice however, his eyes flew open and suddenly his face crumpled in despair.

"I am so sorry, Hermione." He said in a thick, hushed voice. "I…I don't know what just happened… I misread…"

"We've been through a lot." I replied quietly. "You've lost so much…"

"That's no excuse….I…I… I'm sorry." He turned back toward the piano and I did the same. A long silence stretched between us – not tense exactly, but thick with emotion.

"I think I was trying to fill some void." He said finally. My heart lurched for him. He and Tonks had been such a perfect couple – I couldn't imagine that sort of loss.

"It's all right. Nothing happened." I said. He gave me a grateful glance. A moment or two passed before he spoke again.

"I think I understand why you are so upset about leaving."

"Do you? Because I'm not even sure." He gave me a knowing look.

"How long have you had feelings for him?" Those words hit me like a ton of bricks.

"I…I don't know that I do."

"Have you two…discussed anything?" He asked gently. I shook my head.

"No, of course not. There's no reason to, anyways. I'm not sure how I feel exactly and it's the last thing I'm sure he'd want to talk about." Remus opened and closed his mouth a few times, searching for the right words.

"You know, this isn't Hogwarts. The rules don't apply. You're of age and things are bad enough in this world that you should hold on tightly to anything that brings you joy." I back at him, unable to fully accept what he was saying.

"How could I even think such a thing while we are in the position we are in? We all need to watch out for each other. We need to find the others, save the people from the Death Eaters…"

"Life is short, Hermione. Tomorrow is never a guarantee." Remus said softly. "It's a lesson I learned the hard way during the first war…and this one as well." There was a heaviness in the air as we sat for a few minutes, taking it all in.

"'Mione?" Ron's voice sounded from the hall. I glanced from the door back to Remus, who had a strange expression on his face.

"I should go," he said finally. "Lots more reading to do." I forced a small smile as he left, his words echoing in my mind.


	17. Friends

I dreamt of him the night before we left. In my dream we saw him striding up the street towards Grimmauld Place, a sort of carefree look upon his face. He wore his usual Hogwarts attire, but the look of tranquility in his eyes was, simply put, beautiful. When I woke, I felt peaceful for the first time since we began talking of leaving. Quickly, however, I began wondering more and more if the dream had a more ominous meaning. Perhaps the peace I had witnessed upon his face was peace he could only know in the afterlife. It gave me a numb sort of feeling as I rose and picked through the pile of clothing that Remus had scavenged for us.

I had settled upon a pair of hiking boots only a size too large, some thick socks, skinny black pants with plenty of rips, a long sleeve sand colored top and a navy blue zip-up sweatshirt with a large hood and long sleeves. After struggling with my hair for what seemed like ages, I finally managed to make it lie relatively flatly down my back and shoulders. I noticed it was getting a bit long which made it even more unmanageable in most cases, but I found I quite liked the length otherwise.

We all nibbled at our toast a bit reluctantly. Every bite made me feel sick but I knew I'd need the energy later. It was still dark outside in the wee hours of the morning as we crept as silently as possible out the door and down the street. As we rounded a corner into an alley I hazarded one last glance back at Grimmauld Place, feeling an overwhelming sense of loss. We couldn't dare to leave any sort of sign for him to follow, and we didn't have a clear idea of where to go so there wasn't much hope of him finding us. I swallowed hard and then followed Ron and Remus into the shadows.

*/*

"Anything?" I asked quietly, eyeing every person in the coffeehouse with suspicion.

"Not yet." Remus murmured as he scanned the few recent copies of the Prophet he had managed to find in a nearby dumpster.

"I don't like this," Ron hissed. "We should go." He was facing the front doors, watching each customer come and go; one hand blocking his face, the other keeping his beanie firmly down covering his bright hair. I pulled my own hood a bit more forward, sharing his unease.

"Charles!" One of the baristas called out. A young, thin man with a baseball cap pulled down low stepped up and took his to-go cup, turning and walking in our direction to exit the shop. I narrowed my eyes at him. It was hard to tell, but he looked familiar. As he moved closer, stepping aside to let two girls pass by, I gasped.

"Neville?" I asked as loud as I dared, my voice shaking. The young man froze immediately, then slowly turned to face us. It was him! He was careful not to show much in his expression, but his eyes were full of relief. After a moment, he jerked his head towards the exit before ducking and leaving hastily. I instantly rose, eager to speak to him when Ron's hand clamped onto my arm, stopping me.

"We don't know that it's him. What if it's a trap?" Ron said. Remus sighed heavily and folded up the last paper, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"He's right." Remus muttered.

"And what if it's not?" I gave Ron a pleading look. He sighed after a minute and released me. I took off as fast as I could, knowing they were following.

Outside, Neville was nowhere to be found. I felt a little chill of fear as I looked for him. Perhaps this _was_ a trap. What are the chances we'd have found another Order member in some random coffeehouse? Or at all for that matter? I glanced to my left and caught sight of something shiny on a planter near the entrance to the alleyway behind the shop. I nodded in it's direction and the men nodded back at me. Their hands disappeared into their jackets, gripping their wands and keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings. I moved closer, my senses on overdrive. As I approached, however, I lost all precaution and lunged forward to pick up the gold coin before me. After only a moment of studying it, I looked to my left and ran into the alley without hesitation.

"Hermione, wait!" Ron called behind me. I could hear their footfalls behind me and knew they weren't far. I stopped halfway down the narrow alley and waited, breathing heavily. The men caught up to me, catching their breath, eyes darting around us with their wands drawn.

"Neville!" I called as loudly as I dared. "It's just me, Ron and Remus Lupin. I found the coin. Please, come out." The only sound for a few moments was our breath and distant voices from the main street. I was just starting to wonder if something horrible could have happened to him in the small amount of time since he left the shop when I heard a rustle behind a dumpster a few feet ahead and a figure emerged. My own hand went to my wand, but then the figure removed the cap and I would recognize that face anywhere. I flung myself into his arms, happy tears trailing down my face.

"Neville! It's so good to see you, mate!" Ron said with a grin, clapping Neville on the back. Remus came forward once I finally let him go, shaking Neville's hand firmly.

"Hello, Neville. It is wonderful to see a friendly face." He smiled warmly at the younger man and Neville gave him a lopsided smile in return.

"You look well!" I gushed, tugging on his thick trenchcoat.

"I've been staying with friends. We've managed quite well, really. We keep moving, doing little jobs here and there to stay fed and clothed. We've been searching for others… we weren't sure about you two but we did know about Harry. I'm sorry." I reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

"It's all right. I'm so happy we found you. The others… are they Order members? We've been searching for Kingsley but haven't found a good lead yet." Neville smiled widely at all of us.

"Come with me, I'll show you."


	18. Kingsley

A/N: I own nothing and make no money from this...

* * *

Nothing could have prepared me for who we were about to meet as we followed Neville through the city. He led us into a cemetery and towards a mausoleum. We all slowed, confused, as he walked up to the side wall.

"Don't worry, we haven't disturbed anyone's resting place. This one is still empty. Come on." He waved for us to follow as he walked through the wall – much like the barrier at Platform 9 3/4. I cast a nervous look back at Ron, who nodded encouragingly. Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach, I took a deep breath and followed.

The inside had been magically enlarged to a 12' x 12' space. There were sleeping bags rolled up in one corner along with bags and water bottles. On the other side was a rickety card table with a folded Daily Prophet beneath one of the legs. There were four people seated at the table – Luna Lovegood was unmistakable with her wide eyes and white-blond hair.

"Bill!" Ron yelled, throwing himself past me and into the arms of his older brother. Fleur sat beside them, hands over her mouth and her eyes full of tears. A young man I didn't know sat at the far end of the table, looking me over with curiosity.

"Hermione, Rolf. Rolf, Hermione." Neville said jovially as he crossed to sit by Luna. Rolf stood and crossed to me, extending a hand.

"Hermione Granger?" I nodded. "What a pleasure to meet you." He had a pleasant smile, and a fierce intensity in his eyes.

"You've heard of me I take it?"

"Oh yes. If you know the right people, you hear the right information." He winked at me. I grinned a bit at his eccentricity. He seemed like a nice enough wizard. I gestured at my companions.

"This is Ronald Weasley and Remus Lupin." After all the introductions were made, we got down to business trading information. It seems that Bill and Fleur had rescued Neville from Hogwarts and on their way out, Luna had found them. Rolf joined them only a few days ago. They were also on the hunt for Kingsley and had a lead on where he might be going next.

"Are you sure he's on our side?" I asked Neville quietly, nodding at Rolf.

"Quite. We wouldn't be this well off if we weren't thorough. I know I haven't always been the brightest, but I've learned a lot."

"Oh Neville, I didn't mean –" He waved his hand and chuckled.

"I know. It's all right. It wouldn't truly be you if you didn't check." I smiled sheepishly at him.

"Neville," a thought occurred to me suddenly. "How on earth do you still have the coin after all this time?"

"Don't you?"

"Well, yes, but I made them."

"Dumbledore's Army was a highlight of my time at Hogwarts. It's sort of like a badge." He took out the coin and ran his fingers over it a moment. "Luna's got hers too." He nodded in her direction. He gazed at her a moment and I got the feeling there may have been something between them. The thought left me with a pain in my chest, thinking of Severus, whom I had been trying _not_ to think about.

"What is it?" Neville asked suddenly, looking at me with concern.

"I…well we…" I stammered, not quite knowing what to say. Settling on the basic facts, I tried again. "We've been traveling with Severus Snape." The entire room fell silent. I glanced over to see all eyes on me.

"Snape?" Bill hissed. "What has he done to you? Where is he? I'll kill myself." Fleur had to put an arm out to stop him from standing.

"Bill, stop. We must listen." She glanced back at me and nodded. I gave her a small, thankful smile but I could see she was just as unnerved by the mention of his name.

"It's all right." Remus spoke up. "He's on our side."

"Like hell he is!" Bill roared. Fleur shushed him again.

"I know it's hard to believe, but he found me and brought me to these two. He's been helping us for weeks."

"Where is he now?" Luna's light voice cut through the air.

"He…he…" I couldn't find the right words to say so I glanced up at Ron.

"He was summoned back to you-know-who." He offered.

"You've all been fooled." Bill said, staring at his little brother in shock. "He's working for _them._ "

"He is not!" I hissed, standing. All eyes turned on me once again. "You don't know, you haven't been with us. He rescued Ron and me from Hogwarts, helped us heal, hid us from Death Eaters, fought against them for us… he's helped us in so many ways. He's been beaten and tortured for us."

"Have you seen it?" Bill asked flatly.

"No, I've seen him after." Bill gave me a cynical look.

"Then you can't be sure." I opened my mouth to argue, but I found I couldn't. My mind immediately began churning trying to figure out if Bill could somehow be right. He had fought them, but only knocked them out. He wasn't there at the warehouse, just showed up in that cave and let us care for him. We never saw the owners of the farm we stayed at after we left…only saw him go after them when he said he'd erase their memories of us. Had he let them be afterwards? Were they still alive and well?

Could it be? I sank back into my chair, my world spinning. I felt in my heart he couldn't possibly be against us, but logically, I couldn't find evidence that he was with us either.

*/*

"What did the voice on the radio say again?" Ron asked quietly.

"That Alice House in Queens Park was a quaint lunch spot."

Ron, Bill, Neville and I were sitting in a fish and chips place just across the street from Alice House, watching it closely. It was a prime location, really. Near to the railway, a police station, plenty of shops and restaurants to duck into… Kingsley would be smart to choose such a location to look for followers. Originally only Bill and Neville were going to come and watch for him, but I couldn't stay behind. Naturally Ron couldn't let me go alone so he tagged along. Remus agreed to stay with the others to help get the little camp ready to move once we returned. They never stayed anywhere more than a night or two but because of us, they had stayed there three full days now and were growing restless.

We hadn't heard from or seen Severus anywhere and though I was uneasy about what he might be dealing with, it might be best with this group if we have more time before we meet up again. I still was unsure about Severus's true loyalty, though Remus had stayed up late into the night with me, trying to convince me that he was well and true to us.

"There." Neville said under his breath. We all turned to look at the door down the side road a bit and there saw a man exit, look around and then duck his head and tuck his hands in his pockets. Even in the blue jeans, thick leather jacket and skull cap, we recognized his strong features and intimidating stature. We watched him walk to the main street, look around again and then put on some dark sunglasses. He turned left on the road, headed towards the tracks. We all nodded and took off one at a time, careful not to draw too much attention.

I linked arms with Neville and we walked directly to the platform as per our plan. Bill crossed to the far side of the street and walked parallel to the man we were following. Ron hung back and trailed behind all of us, sticking to the opposite side of the street than Bill. Neville and I waited at the platform, finding an empty bench a ways away from the small crowd gathered there for the next train. We glanced back towards the street from time to time but didn't see the man approach. After some time, we saw Ron cross the street and head over to the ticket window, looking all around him. A moment later Bill appeared at the far end of the platform, looked both ways and shook his head at us in confusion, crossing then to Ron.

"Why are you following me?" A deep voice boomed beside my ear. Something cold and hard pressed painfully hard into my neck.


	19. Traitor?

I exhaled shakily. Neville glanced over just then and jumped out of his seat, his hands raised. Out the corner of my eye I saw Bill look over, nudge Ron and they both began racing over to us.

"Kingsley, it's okay. We're part of the Order, remember? I'm Neville, that's Hermione. Ron and Bill Weasley are on their way over." There was a pause then, my heart pounding fast as I waited for the man to respond. He let up on my neck, withdrawing his wand and taking a step back. I turned to see him remove his sunglasses and stare at us in shock.

"Is it true?" He asked me quietly, "about Harry?" I nodded.

"He's gone." Kingsley hung his head and stayed quiet a moment, allowing Bill and Ron to reach us and Neville to tell them all was okay. Finally he lifted his head once more and looked into each of our faces.

"Are there others?" Neville nodded.

"Follow us."

*/*

Tonight we were all cramped into a tool shed. Rolf had announced that the owners of the home it stood behind were on vacation and we shouldn't be bothered. Kingsley and Remus still cast plenty of spells though. It was a bit ominous, but it made us feel safe and that was a luxury these days.

It had been two days since we found Kingsley. We moved camp immediately upon our return to the cemetery and ended up in an abandoned factory for the night which was nice except for the draft and the leaks. Now we were in the tool shed and Neville had just announced we'd be leaving London in the morning. Remus, Kingsley and Bill made most of the decisions, involving Neville enough so that he could fill the rest of us in. We were such a large group now it felt odd to be a part of.

"Whatcha thinking about, 'Mione?" Ron asked, settling down next to me on the floor and handing me a blueberry muffin. I took it gratefully and began picking at it.

"I wonder if we should go off on our own." Ron's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Perhaps there's more that we could do in two groups."

"Hermione. We have been trying to find the others for ages – and we finally have. We might have a real shot of this together. What is there to do on our own that wouldn't be much easier with them?" I just looked at him. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Since Snape left…you've been different. And it's been getting worse. Did he say something to you? Did he _do_ something?" I shook my head at him and then had to bury my head in my hands to hide my wet eyes. I wouldn't allow tears to spill but I couldn't stop them from building.

"I…I just need to find him." There was a long silence before finally he sighed and put his arms around me.

"All right. We'll tell them we're going to gather some food for the road. We can only be gone a few hours, though."

*/*

It was dark by the time we made it to our destination. At first it had disappointed me, but now I was quite thankful for it. Diagon Alley had changed dramatically. Many of the shops were boarded up. No fall décor, no colorful displays… the streets were remarkably clean but were also completely devoid of any color or character. We ducked into a gap between shops as we saw a family exit one of the stores. They were exquisitely dressed in rich robes and beside them, nearly topping over with the weight of several beautifully wrapped packages was a battered looking house elf.

"Diagon Alley is so much nicer now that those nasty mudbloods are off the streets." The woman sneered. The man glanced behind him toward their elf.

"Keep up, you." He snarled. The elf whimpered and scurried after them as fast as its legs could go.

Ron shot me a meaningful look. We had walked most of the way through Diagon Alley and probably had already been noticed. I hadn't the foggiest idea where we might look for Severus and I was beginning to realize there was nothing I could do without more information. I nodded back at him, knowing our few hours away were burning quickly and we still needed to actually pick up supplies.

We crept slowly out onto the street and began making our way back. Up ahead and to the right, a sweet shoppe still stood, but seemed too dimly lit to be open. As I was looking away I noticed something glinting from the small window on the door. Moving closer, I realized they were eyes. Someone inside was watching us. A cold dread grew in my belly. If one person was watching us, how many others might there be? The eyes narrowed a bit and flicked from me to Ron and back again. Suddenly they grew wide and withdrew.

"Ron…"

"What?" He asked under his breath. Before I could answer, we saw a burst of red light go up behind the sweet shoppe. Ron and I froze in our tracks.

"Run!" I shouted. But all too soon several loud cracks turned into a good sized group of masked Death Eaters walking quickly down the street towards us, blocking our path. We stopped short and spun around, running the other direction. My mind whirled trying to think of where to go. I followed the cobblestone to the right, sticking to the shadows as much as I could and looking for any exit possible. After a few moments I realized I was coming up on the entrance to the Ministry of Magic. That's not a place we wanted to be. I whirled around, but Ron was nowhere to be seen.

Panic set in instantly. I began to go back but then I heard the footsteps of the Death Eaters following me. I had to hope that Ron had found a different way, because I couldn't take on the group alone. I spun back around and began running once more. As I started to round the corner of the building above the Ministry, I glanced back one final time.

Just then, a hand clamped around my mouth and I was dragged sideways into a thin gap between buildings. I was kicking and hitting as fiercely as I could, heart pounding and fighting for all I was worth. My attacker's hand slipped a bit and gave me an opening to close my teeth around their knuckle. The roar of pain that followed only gave me a moment of satisfaction as I bolted. I almost made it to the street…almost.


	20. Reunited

"Stop, you hellcat!" I instantly stopped fighting as I recognized the voice that hissed at me. Turning upwards in astonishment, I saw that familiar face and quickly burst into tears of relief. He looked a bit alarmed, but the sound of shouting from further up the street kept him focused.

I was so blinded by tears and focused on his return to me that everything else was white noise. I only know that he had picked me up early on – my feet probably weren't working correctly. He had continued down the alley and onto a residential street. We went through woods at one point and I know he asked where I was staying and I told him. But the world didn't really come into focus until he stopped and looked around in confusion.

"What shed?" I glanced over and realized that the spells must be blocking it from his sight. I climbed out of his arms and onto the ground, pulling out my wand and muttering a few spells. The shed appeared and I took a deep breath, knowing that this would be a difficult return. I also desperately hoped Ron would be there when we entered.

"Hermione!" Neville breathed as he ran up to hug me upon my entrance. I glanced around quickly – Ron wasn't there.

"Has anyone heard from Ron?" I asked.

"He sent his Patronus an hour ago – ne needed to lie low so he'll meet us at the station tomorrow." Bill offered. I sighed in relief.

"Listen, everyone. Ron and I got into trouble tonight. I thought Ron might've been captured – we got separated, you see. I wound up at the Ministry and thought for sure I'd be taken. But, someone rescued me."

"Who?" Kingsley asked. "Did you find another Order member?" I nodded slowly.

"I did." I swallowed hard and then waved out the small shed door for him to enter. "Come inside."

Severus stepped in beside me. Fleur's eyes grew wide but she remained silent. Bill looked absolutely murderous. Neville swallowed visibly but stayed stoic. Remus, Luna and Kingsley all froze for a moment but then nodded in greeting. Rolf looked positively enthralled. He rushed forward, eagerly shaking his hand.

" _The_ Severus Snape. I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure, truly!"

"And you are?" Severus asked in a slightly lofty tone.

"Rolf Scamander." He said brightly. I turned to look at him in shock.

"You didn't tell me you were a Scamander!" I exclaimed. Rolf shrugged and grinned. "Are you truly related to Newt?" He nodded enthusiastically.

"Whatever are you doing here with us?" Severus asked slowly.

"When we heard the trouble happening, I decided to come and offer my help. I didn't arrive in time, however, and I happened to be wandering around when Neville found me. I figured if I covered enough ground the right people would eventually find me."

"You're lucky it was the _right_ people." Severus drawled.

"Indeed I was!" I couldn't help but snort at Rolf's care-free, jovial attitude. I had to admit, now that Severus was here and we knew Ron was safe, I was feeling pretty jovial myself.

Later that night, after many arguments between the group members, Severus had gone for a stroll. I stayed a bit longer, ensuring that the group consensus was that he would stay and help. It was, but Bill was certainly not too pleased about it. Eventually I wandered out and found Severus several yards away, sitting on a small wrought iron bench and looking at the stars.

"Am I to stay?" He asked as I sat.

"You are." I said lightly. He shot me a look.

"Seems much has changed since I left."

"A lot has. Grimmauld Place was fine, a nice refuge. We found Neville shortly after and we helped each other find Kingsley. It's been an adventure of sorts…." I trailed off. Suddenly the scene from the library entered my mind and made me laugh softly.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, well, Remus kissed me." A few beats of tense silence passed. "I don't really know why I told you that, it's not important, it was just something ridiculous that happened while you were gone." He stood suddenly and took a few hasty steps away, crossing his arms and seeming to be intensely examining an apple tree with some rotten fruit clinging to the branches.

"So you and Remus, aye? Can't say I expected that. Though I suppose you two are quite alike." He murmured.

"He and I? No, we're really not. Well, maybe, but I could never be with him."

"Oh?"

"No, he's just…not my type. I didn't feel anything and he didn't mean for it to happen….it was just a big misunderstanding."

"Was it now?" I couldn't read his voice, and couldn't see his face so I decided to change the subject.

"Severus, can I ask you something?"

"I daresay you will whether I give you permission or not." I tried unsuccessfully to hide my smile.

"True. Are you….are you wholly on our side?"

Severus turned then and the venom on his face was startling.

"You're asking me this now? After all that I have done? After all that I have been through?" I withdrew a bit, my heart beating a bit quicker as he shouted at me.

"I'm sorry, I just – Bill got to me and –"

"I understand." He snarled. "You're not the first to doubt where my loyalty lies." He finally took his eyes off mine and turned, his hand absentmindedly rubbing his left forearm. The action didn't miss me.

"Was it awful?" I whispered. He froze and then dropped his arm.

"It's the Dark Lord, Hermione. Of course it was awful." The cynicism in his voice made me cringe a bit.

"I wish you wouldn't call him that." I mumbled. Immediately he rounded on me once more.

"There are some things I must keep consistent. There are already so very many things I could let slip." I looked down at the ground, feeling foolish. Of course. I was so blinded by doubt I was asking stupid, irrelevant questions. Here he was sacrificing and risking so much for us – for me, and all I did in return was question him.

"Thank you." I said, looking at him in earnest. "There is no possible way I could ever repay you for all you have done for us…for me." His eyebrows raised in shock as I spoke. He didn't move afterwards, his eyes just seemed to soften as they stared into mine. Eventually he swallowed hard and stood up straight, regaining his air of authority.

"Of course." He drawled. A moment passed as I felt the connection between us grow. He held out a hand to help me to my feet and I took it without hesitation. The electricity between us increased as our hands touched. I stood slowly, feeling the heat rise up my arm and then flood my body. Something had changed in his eyes – he could feel it too. Suddenly the conversation we had back at the farm came rushing back to me. It scared me more than most things in this world, but I asked anyways.

" _Is_ there more?" The moment it took him to answer seemed like years.

"Yes." He replied quietly, and I knew right then and there that there was something between us that I couldn't ignore any longer. The spark, the heat, the electricity… I wasn't sure when it happened but my connection with this man ran deep. And now I knew he felt something too.


	21. Intuition

A/N: Again, I own nothing... unfortunately. Also, there is some wording in this chapter which may be a little unsettling. Just a bit of a heads-up.

* * *

Ron followed through on his promise to meet us at the station. I mistakenly began to panic when I couldn't find his bright copper hair in the small crowd of passengers, but Bill pointed out his black beanie in only a few minutes. He explained that he was on the run for over an hour and kept running into enemies, but eventually hid and needed to stay out of sight until dawn.

It was just a bit before seven and the morning light was bright and crisp. All of us seemed to be in good spirits and looking positive…except Severus. His eyes never stopped searching for threats, his face never betraying his thoughts. I gazed up at him as we waited for our train, wondering what might be going through his head.

"Yes?" I looked down quickly and felt my face flush. When I didn't answer, he looked over and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Erm… penny for your thoughts?" I asked sheepishly. He inhaled slowly and straightened up to continue his watch.

"Looking forward to getting out of here." He said quietly.

"Anything suspicious?"

"Just a feeling." He said it in an off-handed manor, but it caused goosebumps to rise on my arms. His instincts were not something I wanted to take lightly.

The train arrived and passengers got off before we began boarding. In the noise and chaos I felt my senses heighten. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end but as I looked around, I couldn't identify any sort of threat. Severus and I hung back, keeping an eye on things as the rest of our group chattered away and climbed aboard. We found our seats quickly and I found myself sitting by the window next to Severus. The whistle sounded, announcing our departure. I glanced out the window as we began moving. Barely visible there in the steam was a man in dark clothing, staring me straight in the eyes.

"Severus!" I breathed.

"Yes?"

"On the platform, a man…" The steam consumed him as we went faster and faster. "There was someone watching me – watching us." I looked back at him and saw the tightness in his eyes.

"We need to get off." He said abruptly. "Now." He looked up and down the car as he began re-buttoning his coat.

"Now?" Surely they don't know where we're going."

"No, but they'll be there at the next stop." Fear crept up my spine. I watched him stand and cross to the older men and I made my way to Ron. Once we had informed everyone, the plan was simple. We'd go to the shop car – Ron, Neville, Luna and I together, followed by Bill and Fleur, and then Remus and Rolf. Kingsley and Severus would go deal with stopping the train and then meet us for a quick departure.

We four entered the cart and tried our best to act natural. We scanned the shelves and looked for drinks and greeted the clerk. Remus and Rolf entered next, perfectly playing the part of father and son. The clerk glanced up as Bill and Fleur entered arm-in-arm. I quickly glanced over and met Remus's eye and then looked back at the clerk, who was now scanning us suspiciously. Panicking, I cleared my throat, alerting Neville. Ron and I each chose a drink and went to pay as I noticed Neville had broken away and was kissing Luna by one of the doors. Bill and Fleur took note and began choosing something to eat. This all seemed to put the clerk more at ease. As Ron pulled out a few pounds to pay, I caught sight of something dark out the door to the car behind us.

Looking a bit more closely, I realized it was a pair of darkly dressed people approaching. My heart began pounding.

"Let's go back to our seats, shall we?" I asked a bit loudly.

"Let's." Ron said, his expression a bit puzzled. Neville glanced back at me and then looked out the car door and saw what I had seen. Rolf noticed and nudged Remus which made them both look out the car door. The clerk stepped out from behind the register.

"Is there a problem here?" She asked. Then all hell broke loose. The figures began sprinting towards us. Remus flung a gentle spell in the clerk's direction, causing her to lose consciousness and not see the rest of us draw our wands. He cast another spell to stop the others from noticing us as we all turned to run the other direction. Suddenly the train lurched, the brakes squealing and an alarm screeched from all sides. Severus was by my side a moment later, gripping my arm and rushing us all forward.

Kingsley led us through one car and out the door, escaping into a residential area. "Meet at the preserve!" He shouted over his shoulder. We all scattered as dark mist began shooting over us, alerting us that Death Eaters were on our tails.

I had only a vague idea of where we were, but I followed behind the others as closely as I could. At one point I heard Neville shout a spell behind us so I knew he was close – always lingering in my peripheral vision was Severus. He stayed glued to me, calmly turning to fire spells behind us as we rounded corners. We were creating a scene and it was risky, but we needed to get away by any means possible.

I glanced back for a moment as he cast another spell and I wound up flying into the air and crashing down onto the cement sidewalk. All the air knocked out of me, I couldn't do anything but stare up at the man standing above me. Greyback. He bared his teeth at me and wound a tight hand around my neck, cutting off the air I was desperately trying to gulp in. In moments, however, a darkness swept across the sky and I was released. Neville yanked me to my feet and held me steady as I finally realized that Severus had tackled Greyback. They wrestled for a moment on the ground but Severus's intuition won out and he was able to throw him into a wall, disorienting him enough to shoot a jet of green light from his wand. Greyback instantly fell to the ground, his eyes open but unseeing.

For a minute the world went still. There was a ringing in my ears as I stared at the man lying on the pavement before me. Visions flashed through my mind of him at the warehouse, the battle in the woods outside the cabin, and I realized in that moment that Harry's eyes must've held that emptiness too. It was odd, seeing another person's eyes glazed over and empty – his body simply a shell of the person he had been. I was breathing heavily then, I noticed – nearly hyperventilating. My heart was beating a tattoo against my ribcage and I heard my name being called as if I were underwater. I turned, very slowly, and saw Neville standing a few yards away, yelling and waving frantically for me to follow him. I felt something move on my back and realized Severus was trying to move me. I looked up at him and was relieved to find his eyes were full of life.

"Hermione!" Neville shouted again at me and seemed to snap me out of it. I squeezed Severus's arm and broke away, following Neville down the street. It seemed that Greyback had been the only one following us specifically, but we could hear crashes and shouts in the distance. We ran for a long time, hearing less and less as we neared the meeting place.

We skirted the edge of the preserve for a bit, making sure that no enemies had followed any of us there. Eventually we found Kingsley, Luna, Bill and Fleur.

"They got caught up near the tracks, but I think they went around. Should be here in a few minutes." Bill said, anxiously waiting to see Remus, Rolf and Ron.

I wandered a few feet away to sit, and reflect. I could feel Severus watching me for few moments before he finally wandered over. He didn't say anything, just stood beside me and looked off into the distance.

"I know you had to." I said slowly. "I just need to come to terms with it." He visibly relaxed, but said nothing. "It was as if-"

"Hermione!" Ron's frantic shout far off to my left made me lose all train of thought, my mind completely tuned to his cry. My head snapped in the direction his voice sounded from and barely a moment passed before I was racing off to reach him.

"Hermione, no! It could be a trap!" I heard Severus's voice call behind me but I couldn't bring myself to stop. I couldn't lose Ron too.


	22. Lucius Malfoy

A/N: This chapter and the next are a bit dark, but I promise you there are good things ahead!

* * *

The first thing I took note of was the splitting pain in my head. The second, was the realization that I should have listened to Severus. The third, I was a complete and utter idiot.

I was sitting against a hard stone wall in a dark, dirty dungeon. Ron was across from me, bound and gagged. His right eye was black and blue, blood dripping from it down the side of his face. He must've put up a good fight. He was unconscious and unmoving, but a slight, rythmic disturbance in the dust on the floor told me he was breathing.

Footsteps approached quickly and a key turned in a lock. A masked figure entered and yanked me up to my feet by the chains around my wrists. The motion made me sway dangerously, but they kept such a tight hold of my bindings, I remained upright. The world rocked to and fro as we made our way through a series of halls and doorways. The echo of our footsteps rang loudly in my ears. Suddenly I realized I was no longer moving. Forcing my eyes to focus, I found I had been pushed to my knees on fine looking tile.

"Well, well, well." I knew that voice. Unnerved, but suddenly feeling quite aware, I looked upwards and into the icy blue eyes of Lucius Malfoy. He still carried himself with an air of royalty. His hair was like white gold, slicked back to perfection. It didn't escape my notice that he leaned far more heavily on his cane, however. And the three long, angry looking scars across his face were hard to ignore.

"Ah, yes. You've noticed the token that mongrel gave me to remember him by, have you?" His lips curled at the mention of Remus. I couldn't stop my own curling up in satisfaction. A sudden, sharp blow from his cane knocked the wind out of me, and left me lying on my side, clutching my right arm. With some difficulty, he crouched down beside me and glanced at my arm before meeting my gaze with a smirk and brushing hair from my cheek.

"Your arm will heal. We can't be bruising that pretty little face now. I've got big plans for you."

*/*

I was kept in a spare room for the next two days. The furnishings, though not as opulent as the rest of Malfoy Manor, were still grand. The meals the house elves brought were large and well made. The room was dark, however, as all the lights and candles had been taken. I no longer possessed my wand, and though the one large window did provide some light, it was magically altered to not give away our location – nor would it open.

No one came or went besides the elves – though I could hear muffled voices now and again. Something big was happening in the manor, but I couldn't guess what. And while they did their assigned jobs well, the elves either grew frightened or angry when I tried to question them.

I spent my time pacing my room and testing every square inch for some type of weapon or escape. Often I longed for news about Ron. To hear his voice or see his face… at night, I lay awake bitter with regret for not listening to Severus. Where was he now? What were the others doing? I felt I would soon go mad without answers.

Finally on the third afternoon, there was a knock at my door. I stood quickly, wishing with all my might that it would be a friendly face. But once again the cold eyes of my captor met mine as he entered the room uninvited. He sauntered in, a sick look of satisfaction on his face.

"Miss Granger." He said slowly, seeming to enjoy my repulsed reaction to his voice uttering my name. "You see? Being my prisoner is not so very bad." My lip curled in hatred as I glared at him.

"Now, now." He tutted. "That's not very becoming." He stopped next to me and in a flash he was painfully gripping my jaw in his hand. The motion startled me and my eyes widened. "There we are. There's the expression I was looking for." He was so close I could feel his hot breath on my face.

He released me suddenly, sending me staggering for my balance. His gaze pierced me for a few moments more before he snapped and a particularly bedraggled elf appeared holding a large, thin black box. Another snap and a much more put-together elf appeared holding a small gilded box. Lucius gestured forward and they deposited the packages over by the dressing area across the room.

"You will dress with the help of the elves and join me tonight." He said dismissively, turning to leave.

"And why would I do that?" I spat. He froze, and then slowly turned back.

"Well, I would imagine that the death of a certain red haired boy in the dungeons might put a damper on our evening if you do not comply willingly." I inhaled sharply, thankful to know he was alive, but the threat did it's job. I would do nearly anything to save his life.

"What exactly am I joining you for?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh, a ball!" He said with a smirk. "The Dark Lord does love a good celebration. And I thought the end of the _Golden Trio_ would be a sufficient victory."

"The end? Don't you have to kill us for that to be true?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes at him. He snorted softly and strode over to me.

"That may still be in the cards, Miss Granger. We'll see."

*/*

It was dark out by the time I was dressed and ready. The house elf who attended me had cast some light in the room, however, to assist us. Standing in front of a large mirror, I could now see what had been provided to me. It was a direct insult to Gryffindor House, and a sort of claim upon me, I supposed. The floor length gown was a deep black, form fitting and sultry with a short train and low neckline. A ring and necklace from the gilded box held emeralds set in silver – opulent and extravagant and expressly Slytherin. My hair had been thrown up into a twist and earrings to match the other jewelry were being placed on my ears.

"Ah, the colors chosen by Salazar Slytherin can make even the likes of you radiant." Lucius appeared behind my reflection. He reached over and grasped my hand, dipping his head to kiss it. I hastily yanked my hand away which elicited an eyebrow raise. He took a breath and smirked at me.

"It is almost time for our entrance." He said.

" _Our_ entrance? Shouldn't Narcissa be on your arm?" I knew I should be playing nice for Ron's sake, but I couldn't keep the venom from my voice. It took me aback, however, when I saw a brief flash of torment on his features.

"She should be, yes. But you will have to suffice." I pushed harder, craving information I might be able to use later.

"She left you, didn't she? She saw how vile you all truly are and couldn't stand another moment with you." It appeared to take a great deal of strength for him to control his reaction. After a few moments he narrowed his eyes at me and spoke in a low, threatening voice.

"She was a coward who took her own life and that of our son when she realized what this new world would mean."

"You mean she grew a conscience." We glared at each other for a few moments, hatred radiating out from us both.

"Come now." He growled. He exited the room swiftly and left me to follow behind at my own pace, allowing myself to feel a pang of sadness at the loss of my old schoolmate.


	23. The Death Eaters

The ballroom was obviously vast and exquisite. Music from enchanted string instruments echoed with a beautiful sort of ominousness. Large, ornately carved mirrors hung on the walls reflecting the flickering light from crystal chandeliers throughout the hall. The walls and mirrors were a slate grey color and the black tile beneath our feet gave it all a polished but dark feel. Well suited, I thought bitterly.

As we walked, my eyes drifted up to the ceiling. It appeared as if embers were floating through the air above our heads – I supposed it must be enchanted like the Great Hall had been. Swirling black fabric added an air of foreboding to the finery. I finally looked forward to find we were on a direct path to the Dark Lord himself, seated in a large armchair. My body hesitated involuntarily at the sight of him, but Lucius pulled me forward.

"My Lord." Lucius muttered reverently. He sank into a deep bow and shoved me down to follow suit.

"Luciusss. You have done well." Voldemort hissed fondly.

"Thank you, my Lord."

Voldemort clapped his hands twice and instantly the music ended and the chatter ceased. He stood, putting a hand on Lucius's shoulder. Then, to my disgust, his scaly, pale skin touched mine as he turned me to face the crowd.

"Friendsss! You have done well. First we ended that Potter boy and now…" his hand tightened painfully on the back of my neck. "We have his little friendsss. My breath hitched. _Friends?_

"Ahh, you have not yet been reunited? There he is, just there." He pointed a bony finger to the wall on my left. There, Ron was shackled to the wall, his face twisted in horror as his eyes were glued the ceiling. I followed his gaze and felt my stomach turn as I realized that the swirling black fabric above our heads were actually levitating people dressed in long black robes. Muggles, I would imagine. Or, more likely, muggleborns. Men, women and children twirling slowly, their faces contorted in pain but no sound coming from their lips.

"Yesss." His voice whispering into my ear sent a chill down my spine. "We do love to inflict pain…but the screams grow tiresome so quickly."

I was finally able to tear my eyes away, bile rising in my throat as I scanned the crowd slowly. My eyes landed on a familiar face and I could hardly mask my sigh of relief. _Severus._

Voldemort walked me forward a bit and waved his hand. Out of thin air, silvery chains appeared and held me in place in the center of the floor. I glanced over and finally made eye contact with Ron. He looked apologetic but none of this was his fault. I nodded slightly and turned my gaze back to Severus, noting his angry eyes and filling with hope. He would save us. He must have a plan. Voldemort made his way through the crowd, his followers parting as he went. I watched Severus shift through the crowd until he was in his direct path. When the Death Eater in front of Severus moved, he stepped forward, his head bowed. I heard his quiet, respectful voice beseech him.

"My Lord." He began. But Voldemort did not stop. He brushed past him, pushing Severus aside. Severus froze, his lips parted. My stomach filled with cold dread. When Severus looked up finally, his eyes confirmed my fears. His assistance to us had cost him his position with Voldemort. If he was no longer one of his most trusted servants… I looked back at Ron and swallowed hard. Our future did not look bright.

*/*

Ron and I had remained in our shackles for hours as the Death Eaters celebrated. Some came and taunted us in groups, some threatened us, and some simply came to stare at us in disgust. We were some sort of attraction to ogle and sneer at. The house elves bustled around throughout the night with large silver trays of food and drink. The guests' reactions ranged from treating them as if they were invisible to kicking them away. I had simply stared at all of it in disbelief. It was hard to wrap my mind around this intense hatred that they all held.

The black-clad figures around me blended together but at one point a commotion made me straighten up and focus on a new guest donning a dark green velvet cloak. Something about his short brown hair and striding gait were familiar, but I couldn't place him until he came closer.

"Hermione Granger. And Ronald Weasley too? I was wondering when they would bring you in." My heart was torn between rage and anguish as I looked into the eyes of Cedric Diggory. I would never forget his words or actions surrounding Harry's death at the battle. I bit my tongue hard and dragged my eyes from his face to the reflections in the mirrors, which now seemed blurry. It took me a moment to realize this was because my eyes were full of tears.

"You know," Cedric said slowly, a knuckle gently brushing my side through the silk fabric of my dress. "You don't look half bad in black and green. Much better than those garish Gryffindor colors." He took a step closer and leaned in, his lips brushing the edge of my jaw. It made my stomach churn, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

"Dry those eyes, Granger. What would Harry say?" He breathed. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't stop myself from turning my head to face him in shock, a solitary tear rolling down my cheek. He gave me a warning look before raising his goblet in a mock salute to me, smiling and then walking away to join the others. It took several deep breaths to get my emotions in check, but eventually I swallowed back my tears and outrage and continued glaring at the crowd around us.

By the wee hours of the morning, most of the guests had either left or been escorted to spare rooms. Voldemort had left after rendering me helpless. I hadn't seen him or Severus in hours. Lucius nodded to a pair of women as they left and then he crossed the room to me. He smirked as he looked me over. Though my body was exhausted, I forced myself to stand straight, chin raised in defiance.

"You are strong. I see that now. But it's over. You'd do well to learn some humility." He whispered in my ear. His breath on my cheek made my skin crawl. After another moment or two he waved his hand and my bindings disappeared. He held out his arm for me to take. I glanced over at Ron's sagging, defeated form and back at Lucius, his eyebrow raised – daring me to try something. I took a deep breath and raised my hand to grasp his sleeve.

"Good girl." He sneered, and led me from the room. As we were passing through the archway to the stairs, I began to panic. Where was he taking me? What would be done with Ron? Then suddenly a dark shadow flashed before my eyes.

Severus had Lucius pinned against the wall, his wand digging into the older man's throat. Though Severus was a bit younger, his stature left nothing to be desired. He towered over Lucius now, intimidating and dangerous.

"Severus." He said in a strained voice.

"Lucius." Severus snarled.

"He'll have your head for this." Lucius threatened. Severus narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer.

"We'll see about that." He spat. "Pity Lupin didn't finish you off when he had the chance."

"That's the problem with them. They are _weak,_ Severus."

"He did improve upon your looks, so that's something I suppose." Lucius narrowed his eyes at him.

"Pity there isn't a way to improve yours. But alas, you will always be grotesque. And isolated because of it. You've lost the trust of our Lord, you've no friends or companions...and what witch would ever want _you?_ " Severus drew back with a growl.

"Sectum-"

I saw the flash of light a moment too late. Severus fell hard to his knees and then was knocked unconscious by a kick from Lucius's heavy boots. My blood pounding in my ears, I watched numbly as Lucius wiped Severus's blood off his small dagger onto Severus's own cloak. His hand then clamped down tightly on my arm. An explosion and several shouting voices sounded from outside. Lucius faltered for only a moment before yanking me to the side and down the stairs.

"Change of plans." He said. We went down a flight of stairs and into the cellar, which he threw me into unceremoniously and slammed the door shut behind me. I ran to it immediately, but it was no use. I was trapped.

I paced the cellar, pulling my hair from its twist ferociously. Pausing by the door, I heard the sounds of some sort of fight going on upstairs. I gnawed on my nails as my mind raced. A high pitched scream rang out. I couldn't help but imagine the worst. Being confined and clueless to what was happening was driving me mad. I ripped off the earrings, ring and necklace and threw them on the floor, lifting my skirt and stomping on them as hard as I could, over and over. They remained unscathed, of course – most likely protected by some spell – but it helped.

 _Crack!_

I froze, eyes wide and heart pounding. Someone had just apparated into the cellar with me. I ducked into the shadow of one of the pillars and looked around helplessly. I longed for my wand or some sort of weapon but there was nothing to be found. Several moments passed as I waited, straining to hear something.

"Miss?" I whirled around, startled and could not believe my eyes. A small house elf stood behind me, dressed in the same rags as the other Malfoy elves – but there was no mistaking those large brown eyes and that bulbous nose.

"Winky?" I gasped incredulously.

"Yes! Winky is to be rescuing you." The small elf held out her hand and I took it gratefully. In a moment we were hitting the ground outside the Manor.

"Hermione!" Neville shouted, relieved. "Oi! We've got her!" He helped me to my feet and I looked around to see several people running towards us. They were all in dark robes and in the shadows of the manor I could not recognize any of them.

"The portkey, Neville – quickly!" I heard Remus's frantic voice as he approached. Glancing over, I saw Neville dig in his pockets with shaky hands and pull out something wrapped in cloth. He pulled the cloth aside and I caught sight of the wrench in his hand. Several other hands reached around and touched it.

"Hermione!" A voice yelled. I shot my hand forward and grasped the end of it as it activated. I felt the sensation of being pulled forward by my navel and was sucked into a whirlwind of color as we traveled. I landed on my side on a dirty wooden floor. Glancing up, I saw at least six other figures around the small room. I inched back towards the wall, my hand closing tightly around a rusty trowel lying abandoned in the corner. I watched with sharp eyes as the figures began to recover, ready to distinguish friend from foe.


	24. Gravity

"Identify yourselves!" I cried. The figures froze and turned towards me, one after another lowering their hoods. Neville, of course, was closest to me. Remus stood not far from him. I then recognized Luna, Rolf, Kingsley and Fleur. My eyes quickly scanned the room.

"Where are the others?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Neville and Remus exchanged a glance.

"Bill stayed back to get Ron out of there. Winky is helping him." Remus said quietly.

"Did any of you see Severus?" I almost didn't want to hear the answer, but I had to know. Neville glanced down but took a step towards me.

"We did. He didn't look good. I found him first, actually, and thought he was dead. But Bill said he was breathing and I told Winky he was one of ours. So… we'll have to wait and see."

"So Bill and Winky are in Malfoy Manor right now, completely outnumbered by Death Eaters and trying to rescue two men? Why did we leave? We need to go back!" I tried to struggle to my feet in this ridiculous dress, but Remus stepped forward to block my way. Over his shoulder I saw Neville wave the others aside and talk quietly with them.

"Hermione, they're not alone. We found Dean Thomas and Winky hiding out near the preserve. They assisted us in getting you out."

"But-"

"I know." He put up a hand to stop me. "It's still not the best odds. But you have to hope, Hermione. Hope that all goes well and they are as cunning and quick as we believe them to be." I drew a shaky breath and nodded. Remus nodded encouragingly and put his arms around me, holding me tight. My arms eventually found their way around him as well, and I clung to him as if he were the only thing holding me afloat.

Mere moments later, as I was still clinging to Remus and to hope itself, we heard some noise outside and shortly thereafter came a rhythmic knock on the wall. I glanced over Remus's shoulder to see Neville open a hidden door. Bill walked in with his arm around Ron, and Winky came shuffling in behind them with her head hung low. I sucked in my breath, causing Remus to turn his head towards the door, his cheek brushing mine. I saw Dean's face, and then I saw the black clad arm around his shoulders. Sure enough, Severus came afterwards, clutching his side. He was pale and sweaty, but his eyes found mine immediately.

I broke away from Remus and in an instant was beside Severus. He grunted as I threw myself on him, embracing him fiercely. I backed off enough to glance at his wound and immediately set about tending to him. Dean helped me lay him on a simple wooden table along the side wall of the shed, and we began stripping off his clothing. His eyes were screwed shut from the pain and it briefly crossed my mind how odd this all was. My ex-professor, now someone that I… _cared_ for, lying beneath me as I undressed and attempted to heal him. Once we pulled up the flowing white shirt beneath his jacket, I only let my eyes roam for a moment. His chest and stomach were not especially muscular, but you could see he was strong and lean. His skin there was pale like his face, and besides a good amount of small scars, was unmarked by any other blemishes or tattoos.

I saw now that the wound was completely on his side, just at the bottom edge of his ribs. I started to move his arm, but pulled back my hand. The Dark Mark stood out darker than usual with his blood loss causing his skin to lose even more color. I didn't want to touch it, but I had to come to terms that it was a part of him. With a deep breath, I wrapped my hand around his arm, feeling the raised lines of the snake on my own skin. I pulled his arm up and across his chest to get a better view of his injury. Relieved, I noticed it wasn't a stab wound. Lucius had simply slashed him with the blade. Thankfully, it didn't seem to have had any poison or dark magic from that dagger, and it wasn't too very deep. We'd close the wound and let him rest and his body should do the rest. I felt a small smile cross my face as I set to work. My eyes traveled upwards for a moment and I saw him staring silently at me. A moment passed and I could feel that same connection we had felt before grow – as did my smile.

Later, after spending quite some time talking to Ron and making sure the gash above his eye was all right, I wandered back to the corner where Severus lay on the floor atop a few cloaks to make the wood a bit more comfortable. Sliding down the wall to sit by his head, I finally was able to exhale. Ron was safe, Severus was safe… I could breathe now. Bill stopped by just then, handing me a paper plate with our food. Money was running a bit low, but there were some nice bakery rolls, thick slices of cheese, a small pile of jerky and a few apple quarters for Severus and I to share.

"And to think, just yesterday I was dining on quail, cakes, wine…" Severus trailed off while eyeing the plate.

"Pish." I shook my head. "Who would want that rubbish when you can have _this_?" I picked up a strip of jerky and ran it under my nose like a cigar, breathing in the scent. "Mmm, such a delicacy." I glanced over with a grin and much to my surprise found the corner of his mouth turned up in a bit of a happy smirk. A wheezy, short sort of exhale led me to believe that was the beginning of a laugh.

"Ah, so you _can_ do more than scowl and sneer!" I teased. He narrowed his eyes at me, but they were light and full of mirth.

"Don't test me, witch. I may be injured, but I could still make quick work of you."

"I'd like to see you try." I challenged, leaning in towards him. The smile left my face as I looked into his eyes, growing more heated by the moment. Our faces were only a few inches apart. My eyes flickered from his eyes to his lips and back again. I noticed his eyes did the same.

"Oi, 'Mione!" Ron said through a full mouth. "Are you going to finish that?" I broke into giggles, as did most of the others. I took in the small clusters of the rest of our group, their eyes bright, chattering away and laughing. This lightness was new, but very much welcome.

*/*

A few days after our rescue from Malfoy Manor, we were still in the same location. The others were vigilant- keeping watch and constantly renewing the protection spells around us. We took turns sneaking out in pairs to earn some coins, find some rations, and hunt for discarded papers. We would soon be leaving for Scotland to try and find McGonagall.

It was dusk out the evening before we were to leave and I needed some fresh air. I went through the hidden door to find Rolf standing guard outside. He smiled brightly at me.

"Hello! Can I do something for you?" I smiled and shook my head.

"Just having a moment's peace before the business of travel begins." He nodded.

"Just remember that the protection spells only reach to the tree line." He gestured to the woods in the back. I nodded and smiled in thanks, strolling around the side of our little gardening shed. I didn't stray far, just a few yards from the structure, sinking into the tall grass and gazing up at the sky. With all the terrible, scary things happening in the world, I was so thankful to have had these few days of refuge.

"Penny for your thoughts?" His velvety voice put a smile on my face. I climbed to my feet and turned to look at Severus. His skin had regained it's hint of color and he looked well rested. I bit my lip as I considered my words.

"I'm counting my blessings, I suppose." I said. He took another step towards me.

"And what exactly are those?"

"We have this shelter, we've been able to stay put for a while, you are healing nicely, you and Ron are safe… we all are. I'm just…thankful." His expression turned serious as he took another step closer.

"I feared the worst." He said, looking intensely into my eyes. "You were gone so quickly. I searched everywhere but couldn't find you. I...I wasn't called back to the Manor, but I went freely, finding out what I could from the others without calling too much attention to myself.

"It was only because I was already there that I was invited to the gathering at all. I had been there for a full day before then, and hadn't known you were being held only two doors down from me." I felt my lips part in disbelief. His eyes looked past me, as if seeing the Manor once again, his expression turning a bit dark as he recalled the events of the night.

"I was only there that night to partake of the feast and wine. I hadn't found any scrap of information about you and I was feeling...discouraged. And then I happened to glance up and find this beautiful young woman descending the stairs on Malfoy's arm." His eyes met mine suddenly.

"I shouldn't have approached the Dark Lo... _him..._ when I did, but I was desperate. And then he didn't acknowledge me…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "So I waited. For that bloody coward to show his face again. I shouldn't have taunted him. I should have killed him straight away."

"No!" I gasped, closing the distance between us with another step. "Do you remember what he said? About us being weak because Remus didn't take his life?" Severus nodded. "Well he's wrong. It's what makes us strong. Stronger than they are." Severus searched my eyes with his own, as if he were looking all the way into my soul itself.

My heart was pounding loudly in my chest, but I ignored it. I reached forward a bit, brushing my fingers against his. His eyes dropped to our hands as I pushed my fingers forward and into his hand. Shivers ran through my body as our fingers entwined. His eyes met mine once more, burning with what I hoped was desire. I felt the same dull ache low in my belly that I had felt with him before and knew it meant that I desired him. I wet my lips as I leaned towards him, raising my chin and pushing up on my toes.

When our lips touched it set everything on fire. The shivers running through my body grew with a fiery intensity, the ache turned into heat and my feet felt as though they melted right into the ground. Gravity seemed to be the only thing holding me in place as I kissed him, and he kissed me. My heart soared. Nothing had ever felt so right.


	25. Aberdeen

The journey to Scotland was a bit different. We had decided especially that now we were such a large company, we should travel separately in small groups. Bill and Fleur had decided to go by boat. Luna, Rolf, Neville and Dean would be going by train. Kingsley and Winky would be making their way mostly on foot. Severus, Ron, Remus and I would be flying. We had scraped together the money for tickets and booked them under names of a few muggles who lived close to where we were staying. We would be altering our appearances a bit, to match them more closely, and had stolen a few pieces of their clothing.

Saying good-bye was a sobering event after a few days of happiness and time spent together, but Remus's earlier words still rang true. We had to hold on to hope that we would all have our senses about us and be aware and stay safe. It wouldn't even be a full day until we were reunited. Still, I didn't realize that I was chewing my nails and bouncing my leg nervously until Remus gently laid a hand on my knee.

"Sorry." I mumbled. I crossed my ankles and clenched my hands together in my lap in an attempt to not call attention to myself. The airport waiting area was crowded and I should have been scanning it for threats, but it all blurred together as I worried for our friends.

"Relax, Hermione." He said quietly. "There's no point in worrying. They'll either meet us there or they won't." I turned to search his eyes.

"How can you think that way?" I asked. Remus simply stared at me for a few moments.

"Because I've come to realize that some things are beyond my control." For an instant my eyebrows knitted together in confusion as I tried to understand – but then it all became clear. James, Sirius, Harry, Tonks… he'd lost them all. Perhaps understanding that he had no control over their fate was the way he coped with it all. As I looked inward, I realized that I was doing the opposite. Clinging to those who I loved because I couldn't bear to lose them as well.

"Oh, Remus." I breathed, reaching over to squeeze his hand. He leaned back in the hard, red chair as he gripped my hand in return. As he changed the subject and began talking a bit more loudly about attractions in Aberdeen, I peeked across the waiting area to where Severus was seated. He looked strange in regular muggle clothing, out of place and uncomfortable. He was staring our way, though not directly at us, and a strange expression was etched on his face. I tilted my head to try to silently ask what was wrong, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Now boarding for Aberdeen!" A voice called. Remus stood, pulling me up along with him. We grabbed our small bags and filed in with the other passengers. I could just see the side of Ron's face ahead of us, and I could feel Severus's eyes on me from a few feet behind us. Remus held tight to my hand and blended in perfectly as I struggled to not let my anxiety show.

We made our way to our row and took our seats, chatting away about the weather. Several minutes later when we were getting ready for take-off, I glanced over to find Severus seated across the plane from us, looking at us a bit sullenly. I shot him a questioning look, but he simply turned away. I only spent another moment gazing his direction before I returned to Remus's conversation. I wanted to talk with Severus, but it would have to wait until we were sheltered and settled. Instead, I glanced out the window as we took off and thought about our last night at the gardening shed.

 _The kiss Severus and I shared had been too short. After what seemed like only a few seconds, he had tilted his head forward, touching his nose and forehead to mine. His hands came up to gently hold my face while I clung to his arms. I could tell he was trying to control his breathing but otherwise he gave no indication of what was going through his mind. We stayed like that for only a short time until we heard Remus calling my name. I sighed._

" _It's my turn to be on watch." I breathed. Severus nodded slightly and after a beat he pulled away, standing tall and folding his hands behind his back respectfully. I felt a pang of sadness that I couldn't stay with him longer, but headed back nonetheless. Severus remained in the field for a while, then came back around and briefly caressed my face as he went into the shed once more._

 _By the time my watch was over it was dark out. Inside the shed, only Kingsley, Dean and Winky remained awake. I glanced over and smiled a bit at the sight of Severus sitting against the wall, arms folded and head bowed as he slept. Kingsley was bent over some parchment, a copy of the Prophet in one hand and his quill magically scribbling his thoughts furiously._

" _Do you want some help?" I asked quietly. He didn't look up. "Kingsley?" He still gave no indication that he head me._

" _He's in the middle of a plan – he won't hear you until he's done." I glanced to my left to see Dean peering over his book at me._

" _Ah, I see. I hope he manages to get some rest tonight though." I said as I went to sit next to him in the corner._

" _Not terribly likely. When he's like this it tends to go on for a while."_

" _Oh?"_

" _We were with him for a bit after the battle. This happened a lot before we got separated." He said, slipping a scrap of paper in his book and resting his head back against the wall. I laid my head against the wall as well and found Winky directly across from me, curled into a tiny ball, wringing her hands and staring at the floor._

" _How did you find her? How did Neville and the others find_ you _?" I asked. Dean sighed quietly and concentrated fixedly on a spot on the ceiling._

" _There were more of us… after Kingsley even. Hannah Abbott, Ernie MacMillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Seamus Finnigan, and Susan Bones."_

" _Oh! Are they all right? What happened to them?" My mind was racing, wondering how we could find them all. Five more fighters would be wonderful! From the way Dean paused and swallowed hard, I had a sinking feeling that wouldn't be possible._

" _We were found one night. We had been staying in the tunnels around the school for a while. Winky had been staying in the kitchens but, well, she was still…" He trailed off, looking sadly at her defeated form._

" _Butterbeer?" I asked in a whisper. Dean looked at me gratefully and nodded, before continuing his story._

" _Anyways, they were cruel to her. She was disheveled and unable to do most tasks and they would beat her for it. So, one day, Justin, Susan, Ernie and I decided to sneak into the castle to free her. It went well until Justin accidentally ran into a suit of armor and sent it flying. The noise in the middle of the night was deafening and in no time at all, we were being chased down." I covered my mouth with my hand, hanging on his words as I waited for things I didn't want to hear._

" _Susan went down first. I had Winky in my arms, so Ernie was shielding himself and us. Justin was zig-zagging and throwing spells over his shoulder, but she was disarmed almost immediately. She stopped and turned instinctively, but that moment was all it took for a killing curse to hit her square on the chest."_

" _Oh no." I breathed._

" _Justin wanted to stop but we told him not to. We got out of the castle and blocked the doors, but then the Carrows arrived and we thought we were done for." Dean lowered his head to his hands._

" _How did you escape?"_

" _Justin." He said simply. He looked up at me with red rimmed eyes just then. "He forced us to go. They didn't kill him. His screams came on quick though. We learned that he was put in the dungeons with the other muggle-borns. The torture he must've endured…maybe it would have been better if he died."_

" _No! Dean. You cannot think that way. He'll live. We'll find him and free him and he'll help us defeat them. You'll see." Dean nodded halfheartedly. After a moment or two I sighed. "So how did you get separated from Ernie then?" Dean sighed and rubbed his face._

" _Well, we made it back to camp, but so did the Death Eaters. I told Ernie to get Hannah and they managed to escape, but the only way I got out was Seamus's sacrifice." Heaviness settled in the air around us. "He shoved Winky into my arms again and told me to get her to safety. He said he had an 'explosive' plan." He said with a soft chuckle. I couldn't stop a small smile, either. It seems he had embraced his talents after the fiasco with the bridge in the battle._

" _And did he?"_

" _He did. They took him down but not before he rigged the exit. Took out every single one of them. I still had to be careful, but he rid us of the danger we were running from. I wasn't even completely sure where I was going, but one day we were sleeping in the preserve and woke up to hearing your name called over and over. It wasn't long until I tracked everyone down." Silence stretched for a few moments._

" _I'm so sorry, Dean." I said finally, turning to look at him. "But I am very glad that we found you. And thank you for rescuing Winky. I promise we will do our best to find Hannah and Ernie." Dean nodded slowly as if he didn't believe me. As I turned back to gaze at Winky once again, I realized I wasn't sure I believed it, either._

"Hermione?" Remus's concerned voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, sorry. I was just thinking about something Dean said." I shook my head to clear it and ignored the worried expression on his face.

"We're about to land." I looked out the window and was a bit relieved to see the city growing closer and closer. Knowing that soon we would all be reunited, I felt my spirits lift and smiled at Remus.

After we landed we had all climbed in a taxi cab and now found ourselves milling about Union Square Shopping Center. It was the rendezvous point before we headed to our planned shelter. Time ticked away slowly. We had staggered our departures enough that we'd all be arriving in Aberdeen around the same time, but the wait was agonizing. My heart beat wildly as my eyes scanned the crowd, looking for friendly faces.

"Hermione Granger? Ron Weasley?" A voice said behind us. In no time at all, spells were cast to make us less noticeable and to shield us. My hand flew to my sleeve, but Severus and Remus were already in defensive stances, wands out and ready. Ron had his wand out, but held it against his chest. I turned and froze, looking incredulously into two sets of familiar brown eyes.


	26. Trivoli Theater

A/N: I own none of this world nor these characters and I make no money from this...

* * *

"George!" Ron choked out, rushing forward to embrace his older brother. George smiled and clapped him hard on the back a few times. George's eyes still had that mischievous sparkle to them, though his face held the look of someone who had survived a war – and lost a great deal.

"Lee Jordan, is it?" Remus asked with a smile, extending his hand to the other man standing before us. "Forgive us for our greeting." Lee and George exchanged glances. George ruffled Ron's hair and shrugged.

"Understandable, I suppose. What with the Death Eaters hunting us down and all." He said lightheartedly I felt myself smirk.

"George, Lee, it is so good to see you both." I said, giving George's elbow a squeeze.

"Is that you, little brother?" Bill and Fleur came rushing up, enveloping George entirely in their arms. A moment later, an arm reached out and pulled Ron back in for more. I snorted and watched them, so happy for some of the brothers to be reunited.

"I don't know that I'll ever understand how _she_ loves _them_ so much. I mean, really!" Lee said in exaggerated astonishment as he watched Fleur giving the men kisses. I gently hit the front of his coat with my hand.

"Oh shush!" I scolded him.

"There you are!" Kingsley's deep voice boomed from a few yards away. He approached us on his own, telling us that Winky had gone ahead to scout the shelter we had planned (an abandoned theater) – she'd draw too much attention here anyway.

It took several more minutes, but eventually Rolf, Luna, Neville and Dean arrived. Their train had a delay when a branch fell on the tracks. They had all been on edge, thinking it was a ploy by the Death Eaters, but it seems it was a legitimate accident.

Our large reunion was drawing attention from onlookers and passers-by, so Severus suggested we begin to move. We took every alley, out of the way route and hard-to-follow trail we could. No one seemed to be following us, so we ducked into a side door of the old Trivoli Theater and began casting our protection spells.

After we had all searched the building, set up the wards and settled in, I finally was able to go look for Severus. On my way, I was offered a cheese sandwich and tea by Winky. I took enough for us both and eventually found Severus sitting in one of the threadbare seats in the balcony. I approached slowly, trying to read his expression, but he was too well versed in hiding his thoughts and emotions. I took a seat next to him and offered him the sandwich. He accepted it, but just held it on his lap.

"Is everything all right?" I asked. A few beats passed before he finally sighed and answered.

"Yes, everything is fine. I just find myself wondering what muggle life is like." He said in a quiet voice. This surprised me, as he never seemed to me like someone who would give muggles a second thought.

"Why?"

"Because this…" he gestured around himself, "doesn't seem like it should be our life." I could see his haunted past in his eyes, and hear the emotion in his voice. I knew what he meant. When we kept busy it was easy enough to focus on the task at hand, but in moments of silence or calm, it was difficult to not relive the horrors we had experienced. I reached over and took his hand. He tightened his hand around mine and looked down our entwined fingers.

"This won't last forever, Severus." I said quietly. He gave me a wry smile, his eyes weary.

"It already has. This _is_ my life. Has always _been_ my life. And now…perhaps it will be the end of it too."

"You can't think that way. We've got more fighters now, taken out more Death Eaters…we've got a chance." He simply stared into my eyes for a moment.

"Do you know, at the airport today, you and Remus played the perfect couple? I watched you. The smiling, talking…hand holding…I found myself insanely jealous of those who can do things like that; who aren't on the run and fighting for their lives... I fear you and I will never have that." My eyes welled up as I pictured in my head what life would be like outside of this war. Severus and I sitting on some park bench doing a crossword, or sipping tea in Hogsmeade, perhaps teaching together at Hogwarts… all of it robbed of us by Voldemort. We sat in silence then, ignoring our food, but holding hands and mourning the life we might have had.

*/*

"Would it be inappropriate to leave cans of tuna out and wait?" George asked as we walked along an alley looking for any sign of McGonagall's cat form.

"George." I reprimanded him.

"What? I was only asking."

"It might not be the worst idea." Luna's dreamy voice sounded from the back of our group. We all stopped to turn and look at her. "If we put out food and leave some sort of marker so she'd know where we were staying."

I glanced over at Ron. He shrugged and nodded. George had a satisfied smirk on his face. Dean just glanced over at me. I sighed. She was right, it wasn't as if it could hurt. Turning back around, I headed to the main street to find a grocery store.

We had been out all day for two days now looking for any sign of her. Winky and Fleur stayed behind to keep watch over the theater and make meals and such, we five were one group out looking for clues and then there were two others. Lee, Remus and Rolf were going inland farther and Severus, Neville and Bill were all searching closer to Hogwarts in the northwestern parts of Aberdeen. We took the southeastern area.

I bought several cans of tuna fish and we laid them out across our section of the city as strategically as we could. It felt silly and perhaps a bit disrespectful to our ex-professor, but we needed to find her one way or another. On each can, Luna drew a beautiful design. It held the initials D.A.T.T. (Dumbledore's Army Trivoli Theater), but looked like random graffiti. Once we had laid out all the cans and the light was beginning to fade, we headed back to the theater.

Fleur and Winky had whipped together pasta puttanesca, and we all gathered around a folding table set on the stage. It was oddly quiet tonight as we ate, somewhat because we felt defeated after two full days of no clues, but also we were all exhausted. Being on the run, searching the city…it was beginning to take a toll on us. A small metallic tapping came from the back of the theater. We all froze, turning towards the sound. There was only silence now, but with a few exchanged glances, we knew we had all heard something.

We crept around the table, down the stage and towards the lobby, holding our breath and drawing our wands. There didn't appear to be any open doors or broken glass in the front, so Remus silently signaled us all to spread out. After only a moment, I caught sight of something disappearing behind a stack of boards leaning against the wall. I grabbed Ron's arm and pointed. He gave me a sharp nod and made his way over, ducking down to look. At that exact moment, a figure appeared from the other side. I gasped and Ron yelped in surprise, alerting the group who were by my side in seconds.

"Professor McGonagall!" I cried.

"Minerva, it is so good to see you." Remus said, his voice full of relief. She stood before us looking just as I remembered. In dark green robes, spectacles low on her nose and her standing tall before us all. Her eyes were misting, however, which was something I couldn't remember ever having seen before as she scanned the crowd, looking us over. Finally, she glanced at Ron and smirked a bit.

"Well?" She asked in a scratchy voice. Ron shook his head and grinned a bit.

"Still bloody brilliant."


	27. The Wrong People

"I couldn't very well abandon the students and the castle while those vile creatures are in control of it, now could I?" Minerva said, her arms folded across her chest.

"But it didn't take us an exceedingly long time to find your location – you really haven't been caught once?" Neville said in disbelief. Minerva narrowed her eyes at him.

"You didn't _catch_ me yourself, now did you, Longbottom?" Neville visibly shrunk back from her scolding. "Letting myself get photographed so that those who knew me well could find me is one thing. Allowing myself to be caught is quite another."

Minerva was seated at the folding table, the rest of us standing or sitting on the floor in front of her. She still had the same old air of confidence and authority about her, and obviously still had her powers of intimidation. I glanced over at Severus and noted a small, fond smile on his features as he listened. I couldn't help my own smile, really. Something about her made it feel as though we would be all right.

"What have you witnessed, Minerva?" Remus said, seemingly the only one maintaining his composure over having her join us.

"Not much I'm afraid." Minerva sighed, her posture slumping just a bit. "Horrendous things are happening in the wizarding world, to be sure. But they guard themselves well. All I know is that to begin, they asked muggle-borns to come forward willingly. Most were never heard from again. Those that returned to the school were thrown in the dungeons.

"I have been talking to Aberforth now and again and he is working with some friends to try to get the students out a little at a time but they've had a rough go of it. And then there are the snatchers…"

"Snatchers are still around?" I asked. It still made my skin crawl to remember our encounter with them in the woods.

"Oh yes. More powerful than ever. C…Cedric Diggory is the head of them. They've become bold and relentless." Minerva looked especially haunted as she said these words.

"Why is he doing this? What happened to him?" Rolf asked. Ron, Fleur, Neville and myself all sighed.

"The tournament changed him. He was so mortified by the incident at the lake…"

"What, he didn't take to being blown up like a balloon?" George's sarcasm echoed through the empty theater. Lee snorted in laughter beside him, but a grunt came soon after as Dean elbowed him in the ribs.

"Not that funny, mate." Dean said under his breath. Lee ducked his head and George had the good sense to mumble an apology. After we all stopped glaring at the pair of them and turned our attention back to Minerva, she continued her story.

"I should have seen it." She said quietly.

"That responsibility lies with Sprout as his Head of House." Severus offered. She shook her head.

"Severus, you know it's our duty as teachers to notice things like this with _any_ student. I failed him…" She leaned on the table and pinched the bridge of her nose. I watched her, unsure of what to do. None of us had seen her this way before. After a moment, Remus moved forward and pulled a chair out beside her, sitting and taking one of her hands with his own. She shot him a grateful look and attempted to pull herself together.

"Looking back, I recognize the signs now. Distancing himself from others, doing poorly in his classes, forgoing holidays at home to stay in the castle… he had a hard go of it after the tournament and no one was there to help him."

"Until the wrong people were." I said quietly, looking at Severus again. It was a lot like his story. Silence enveloped us as we all considered this and realized that one day we'd have to face him again.

"Are there any others?" Luna asked lightly from the back of the group. "Anyone else we are looking for?" I glanced at Remus, Severus and Ron before my eyes landed on Dean.

"Ernie and Hannah." I breathed. Dean quickly looked up at me in surprise.

"Hannah?" Neville asked quickly, "A…and Ernie? Where are they?"

"Dean was with them for some time." I said, gesturing for him to answer.

"We were around the school when they ran off, I don't know where they are now." Dean said in a tired voice.

"They are still here." We all looked over at Minerva, now having composed herself, she was sitting tall; once again commanding the room. "They were the ones helping myself and Aberforth."

"We need to find them!" Dean said, jumping to his feet. Neville was on his own feet not one second later.

"Now, wait." Remus said. "There is more to discuss." He gave Neville a hard look, and reluctantly he gave Dean a nod and they both settled back onto the floor.

"We found Kingsley. We found Minerva. Other than Erin and Hannah, are we looking for anyone else?" Remus asked, all business. We all looked at each other but no one seemed to have anything to say.

"The other Weasleys, where are they?" Kingsley asked, looking at Bill, Ron and George.

"They are out of the country, but we can probably still reach them if need be." Ron said.

"So that's five more?" Severus asked quietly.

"Four." Bill said.

"Yes, Percy's a bit of a git and we're not sure where he is. Last we heard he was on _their_ side." George's voice had an edge to it. They were all still bitter about his being a traitor. But, being brothers, they still cared for him and worried what fate might have befallen him.

"Are there any other professors who would fight?" Rolf asked. Minerva shook her head sadly.

"I don't think many survived the last fight, dear boy. By the way, who might you be?" Rolf perked up instantly and rushed over to her, extending his hand and flashing her a brilliant smile.

"Rolf Scamander, at your service."

"Ahh, a Scamander. Yes, I've heard of your lot." She said with a hint of exasperation. She put the smallest section of her hand possible into his to shake and then rubbed her fingers together as if to clean them once he turned to make his way back to his spot of the floor. I stifled a snort at her behavior, but then I caught a glimpse of Luna smiling secretly up at Rolf as he approached. I watched a moment longer, but they gave nothing else away.

"Firenze and the other Centaurs?" Ron asked half-heartedly.

"No, they didn't want to join the first time." Remus said with a sigh, shaking his head and leaning back into the folding chair he sat upon. "The good news for us is that we will have the element of surprise. They won't have the time to call for reinforcements. We just need skilled fighters, and numbers would certainly help." I bit my lip, thinking of the creatures they enlisted in the last battle. The Dementors and spiders and…

"Hagrid!" I cried suddenly. All eyes turned to me. "Where's Hagrid? Is he all right? Has anyone seen him?"

"I heard someone at the Manor talking about a half-giant servant." Severus said grimly.

"I saw him once, dragging trees behind him with chains at the school." Dean said. "He was being escorted by two wizards in black cloaks."

"Yes, I'm afraid I can confirm through Aberforth and the children that he is a prisoner of theirs, and apparently acting as their servant."

"Is he okay?" My voice trembled. Severus moved across to where I sat, his fingers reaching down. I reached up to lace my fingers with his. I didn't miss Minerva's arched eyebrow at the sight.

"He didn't look hurt when I saw him." Dean said. A few beats of silence passed as we all racked our brains for ideas.

"Well what about the house elves? Surely they'd want to fight again, against their masters?" Ron suggested.

"Perhaps." Remus mused. "Winky, do you have any thoughts on that?" The tired looking elf turned her head slowly up to him and bobbed it once.

"Winky is getting them to fight." She said with some conviction.

"Well then." Minerva said as she stood, causing all of us to scramble to our feet as well. "Tomorrow I shall take Mr. Thomas, Mr. Longbottom, and Remus here to locate Mr. MacMillan and Ms. Abbott. Now, do you perhaps have anything to eat that does not consist of canned fish?"


	28. Remus

A/N: Just a reminder - I own none of this world or the characters in it and therefore make no money from this...*sob*

* * *

"McGonagall!" I nearly jumped out of my skin when I caught sight of her out the corner of my eye. I was standing watch over the back entrance of the theater, and, glancing down at my watch, it wasn't time for shift change yet.

"Oh, please call me Minerva. You're not my student any longer. I know it's not yet time for me to relieve you, but I wanted to talk a moment." She conjured a stool and sat beside me.

"Oh?" I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what she wanted to talk about.

"What exactly is happening between you and Severus Snape, my dear?" I hung my head. No one had asked us yet, but most knew what was happening on their own and the rest just didn't care. Suddenly I felt we were back in school and I was about to get house points taken away.

"Erm, well, I'm not entirely sure." I mumbled.

"Well, why don't you start from the beginning." She said. I could tell she wasn't going to let up, so I sighed and began with his finding us back at the battle. Throughout my tale, she remained quiet, only nodding and occasionally arching an eyebrow at some detail. When I told her we finally kissed, she looked away, and seemed to examine her hands for the remainder of my tale.

"And that's really been it. It's not as if we can go on a proper date. We haven't declared anything…"

"Do you wish to?" She asked suddenly. I looked into her sharp eyes and found I didn't have an answer for her.

"I…I don't know."

"Hermione," She said fondly, "I've had the privilege of watching you grow from a little bookworm to a strong, courageous woman. I've also watched Severus grow and, while I must admit I didn't see the same sort of changes in him as I have with you, I see you both are comforted and strengthened by one another." I hung on her words, knowing she was right.

"I of course could never allow this sort of relationship in Hogwarts." She said briskly. Then she turned to me and her face softened. "But this is a new world. And who am I to tell either of you what to do or who to cling to? Especially in this world, we must hold tight to those we love – no matter who that might be."

Smiling, I nodded in thanks. I couldn't trust my voice, judging by the tears welling in my eyes. She seemed to sense this and turned away, only reaching out to give my hand a gentle squeeze.

*/*

I walked down the theater aisle after saying goodbye to the group headed to find our last two recruits. On my way I passed Rolf and Luna, sitting beside each other in deep conversation. I noticed Rolf's hand resting on hers. I might be feeling a bit worried about Luna hurting Neville's feelings, as it seemed they had been close earlier in our journey, but based on his reaction to hearing that Hannah Abbott was out there, I think he will be just fine.

The Weasley brothers, Fleur and Lee were behind the stage, sitting on discarded set pieces. I looked around and eventually found Severus high up in the catwalks over the stage. He looked like he was lost in his own little world, but I ventured up, forcing myself not to look down when I got there.

"Hermione." He looked up suddenly and gave me a small, distracted smile. "What can I do for you?" I approached him and shrugged a shoulder, looking up at him sheepishly.

"Give me a kiss, perhaps?" He hesitated for a moment, but then leaned forward and gave me a rather chaste kiss. Too soon he pulled away and I was left wanting more.

"Is everything all right?" I asked.

"I haven't been summoned. Not since even before the ball at the Manor."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" He shook his head, with a wry smile.

"No, not with the… _him_. He likes to call his followers to him constantly, exerting his power over all of us." I bit my lip and thought about this.

"Severus, can he _force_ you to go to him, or does he simply call?"

"Well, you could say he just calls. It starts out as just an irritation. Those of us who he trusts most, would be able to know that feeling immediately and be by his side in seconds. Otherwise it then turns into a mild burning, and then it gets painful. You don't _need_ to go to him but you will. Eventually the pain threatens to drive you mad if you don't answer the call. You just give in rather than go through that."

"Have you resisted?" He stared off into space.

"Only once, and I didn't last long. It was…it was after…"

"After Harry's mum?" I asked. He nodded, his eyes glued to the floor.

"I arrived pale, sweaty, shaking… he only called me for his own satisfaction – to see my face after he had taken what I loved most. But this just pleased him more." I swallowed hard, feeling sick to my stomach hearing all of this.

"I'm sorry, Severus. That's…awful."

"I think I need to go back." He said quietly. My eyes found his quickly.

"What?"

"Things are changing. We're not looking for more fighters. We've got everyone we can think of. The longer we wait, the more opportunities we give them to find us. I should go, try to win back some sort of favor. That way I can try to orchestrate something."

"Please don't." I breathed. He reached up and caressed my face.

"Trust me. If I could never again leave your side I would be content. But this…it might end the war. It might mean guaranteeing your future."

" _Our_ future, you mean." He glanced up at me with wary eyes, his silence unnerving me.

"Hermione! Severus! Come quickly!" Rolf shouted. We rushed down the spiral staircase and into the house. Coming down the aisle slowly was a silver tabby cat.

"Minerva's patronus." Severus whispered. It reached us and circled quickly. We waited, holding our breath.

"Come quickly! We're in danger!" Minerva's urgent whispers echoed through the large building. We all paused for a moment, but then the cat turned and ran out the door - Severus, Bill, George, Ron and I running after it.

It seemed to take hours before the silver cat slowed. But finally, once we were in some thick woods with distant sounds of a village and a train not far away, the cat slwoly circled a tree and disappeared, leaving us standing there dumbly. We cautiously began searching the immediate area. It wasn't long before we found Minerva lying at the foot of a large oak tree, barely holding onto consciousness.

"Minerva, what happened?" Severus's voice was low and urgent. Her head lolled a bit as she looked up at him.

"Ernie…and Hannah…Neville took them. Headed back. Remus…" She pointed behind her as she began a coughing fit. Severus looked ahead of us with a grim expression.

"George, Ron, get her back to the theater."

"But we can help!" Ron tried to argue.

"Go, now. We cannot lose her." He shot Ron a dangerous look, which seemed to convince him. They hoisted her up and with one final glance back at me, Ron turned and they began the journey back. Severus led Bill and I forward, our wands out and senses heightened.

After only a few moments, I gasped and pointed to our right a bit. Several yards ahead in a large clearing, Remus was bound to a tree trunk. As we rushed closer, things began to look even more dire. Dean stood alone nearest to us in the clearing, shifting back and forth anxiously as he held his wand out in front of him. Across the clearing stood four figures in black robes. The closest, wand drawn on Dean, her head down and an evil smile on her face, was Bellatrix.


	29. The Choice

A/N: *Heads up - this chapter is a bit dark and intense...

* * *

 _Ahead of us in a large clearing, Remus was bound to a tree trunk. As we rushed closer, things began to look even more dire. Dean stood alone nearest to us in the clearing, shifting back and forth anxiously as he held his wand out in front of him. Across the clearing stood four figures in black robes. The closest, wand drawn on Dean, her head down and an evil smile on her face, was Bellatrix._

My blood ran cold as we moved closer, not bothering to move quietly anymore. Though the three men behind Bellatrix were watching us approach, she kept her eyes locked on Dean. My hand twitched, longing to use my wand, but I couldn't risk it. We finally stepped out of the woods and entered the clearing. Dean was still several feet away, but we didn't dare move closer until we knew what was happening.

"Wands away." A warning voice called from one of the men. My hand only tightened around my wand at first, but I ultimately lowered it, nodding at the others to do the same. I tucked it snugly back into my sleeve, feeling my magic pulsing from it, mixing with my own adrenaline and putting me on edge.

"Bella," Severus purred smoothly, "We outnumber you. We've driven you away before. Lower your wand." Bellatrix's smile disappeared and her eyes flickered over to us.

"The wolf doesn't count, _Sevvie_." I glanced over and saw that Remus was alert – a little battered and bruised, but otherwise seemed to be fine.

"Four against four then." Bill spat.

"Just put down your wand. We can go our separate ways. The Dark Lord need never know about this." Severus said slowly. I could feel tension rolling off of him, but his voice was almost hypnotic as he tried to talk her down.

"She was going to kill them." Dean's voice was shaking with anger. My eyes shifted from Bellatrix to the back of Dean's head.

"What happened?" I asked quietly, shifting my eyes back to our enemies. They seemed to be in no hurry, which unnerved me. I would absolutely expect them to attack first and ask questions later. The stand-off and Remus being incapacitated felt off somehow. Something bigger had to be going on.

"We found them torturing Ernie. We surprised them and managed to get him and Hannah away, but then they started blasting off spells. Remus jumped in front of Hannah early on and they took him down. McGonagall shielded me from a few curses and collapsed a ways back. We've been standing off for a while now. I think they've been waiting for something."

My eyes shifted to Severus. His eyes met mine for a fraction of a second and I knew the same thought was running through his head – are they waiting for Voldemort? Suddenly I was aware of all the cover available behind us. The thick wood with lots of hiding spots for lots of Death Eaters. My mind was racing. We were at a rather large disadvantage should they be planning some sort of attack.

"Oh don't fret. We just want to trade." Bellatrix said, her smile coming back as unsettling as ever.

"Trade?" I asked, my heart beating a rapid tattoo on my chest.

"Oh yes." She purred. "You see, we are down a werewolf…"

My eyes widened and my head snapped over to Remus. He was staring at Bellatrix, realization creeping into his expression. I ran my hand along my arm, moving my fingers slowly down to the end of my sleeve toward the handle of my wand.

"Don't even think of it." Bellatrix warned, her piercing eyes now on me. I lowered my hand to my side. My body ached I was so frustrated. I was not accustomed to feeling so helpless.

"Come now, Bellatrix. You know he needs to be _willing_ to serve the Dark Lord." Severus's voice was pure honey.

"Oh, he will be." She said, the corners of her mouth pulling up once again.

"Perhaps if we –"

"That's enough!" Bellatrix screeched, sending a flock of birds into the air from their perches in the surrounding trees. "Leave the wolf with us and go, or we will put the odds in our favor!" I shifted anxiously, licking my lips and my eyes darting around wildly. I felt that some sort of a solution had to be possible, but my brain just couldn't latch onto anything.

"Over my dead body." Bill snarled. The sudden silence was deafening. Ever so slowly, Bellatrix turned to face him. She held his eyes for a moment, her face betraying her rage.

"How about _his_?" In slow motion I turned towards Dean, just in time to see the jet of green light surround him before he crumpled to the ground. I heard my scream echo loudly as I dashed forward. I threw myself on the ground beside him, frantically searching his body for a pulse that I knew wasn't there.

I vaguely heard a few blasts of spells around me, but I was staring through blurry eyes at the empty face of my friend. Memories of bloodied hands and broken glasses flashed through my mind and before I knew it I was starting to hyperventilate.

"Hermione!" His voice snapped me out of it; made me focus. I took a long gulping breath as I forced my eyes to focus on him. No sooner than his face became clear, an arm circled around my neck and squeezed hard, pulling me to my feet. My hands flew to my neck, but I could not move Bellatrix's arm. I felt her lips brush against my jaw and had to swallow hard to keep from gagging. The dueling came to an abrupt halt.

"Well, now. This is a familiar stance, is it not? Only last time it was your little elf friend that I killed, wasn't it?" She whispered. I fought hard against her, which caused her to dig the tip of her wand into my jaw.

"Bellatrix!" Severus couldn't mask his panic this time. He was disheveled from dodging her spells, but Bill was a wreck. He was barely standing, holding his arm (which looked broken) against his chest, blood pouring from his nose. Worst of all was the anguish written upon his face. Though he was facing us, his wand pointed at the woman holding me hostage, he couldn't drag his eyes from Dean's lifeless form.

"Pity you didn't listen the first time." Bellatrix sneered. "How's this – the red head can take your dead back to your little hide-out and we can have a real talk. Grown-up to grown-up."

Severus glanced over at Bill and seemed to examine his condition quickly. The physical injuries wouldn't necessarily hinder his dueling skills, but the emotional pain he was feeling certainly would. His eyes passed to Dean before coming up to meet mine. I nodded as much as I was able.

"Bill, take him back." He said quietly. Bill hesitated a moment, casting a wary glance our way. Eventually, though, he made his way over to Dean, paused, then put away his wand and picked the younger boy up. With one last glance at me, his tears leaving clean streaks through the blood on his face, he turned and I watched him disappear into the trees.

"Now." Bellatrix said sweetly. "Let's try this again, shall we?" Severus's eyes lost all the hardness they had previously held. The look on his face was that of a frightened boy. I began to realize that at least one of us wasn't going to return to our group.

"We. Want. The werewolf." She said forcefully. Severus shot an uneasy glance at Remus. I glanced over his way too, and saw that he was staring at the ground, his face pale and drained of energy.

"Take me back." Severus pleaded, turning his wand and holding it with the handle out. "I'll be his prisoner. He'll reward you for bringing me in. He'll enjoy torturing me. Just let them go, and they'll no longer have me as an asset, it would only benefit you." Bellatrix took several moments to mull this over. Then her insane cackle rang out in my ear, sending shivers over my body.

"Oh you _will_ go back. But not as prisoner." He lowered the wand, but didn't change his grip. Defeat was written on every inch of his body.

"You killed _our_ werewolf, Sevvie. We need a new one." She turned us both to face Remus, who now was watching us with a look of acceptance.

"An eye for an eye. Give us the wolf. Or…" She turned us back to face Severus. In one swift movement, she yanked my wand out of my sleeve and threw me forward, causing me to fall on my knees a few feet in front of her. "The woman you love shall die."

"No." I said through gritted teeth.

"Hermione, it's all right." Came Remus's calm voice.

"No!" I shouted. I looked up at Severus. His eyes were wide, full of fear and unshed tears. I could see him formulating plans that went nowhere, quickly coming to the same conclusion I had. "They _cannot_ take him, Severus! He's too important – much more important than me. The others need him." Severus began shaking his head slowly.

"Hermione –" Remus began again.

"No! You _cannot_ have him!" I screamed.

"Severus." Remus said pointedly. Severus looked over at him and slowly regained some composure.

"All right." Came the whisper from the man before me. I looked up at him, feeling betrayed.

"What?" I gasped.

"He'll go with you." Severus said again, his voice quiet, but sure. He turned to look wearily over at us.

"No!" I screamed again, jumping to my feet and whirling around to fight. But Bellatrix was already skipping away, the other men pulling Remus along with them. In seconds, Severus's strong arms were around me, holding me back.

"There's a meeting tomorrow night, Sevvie!" Bellatrix called behind her. "The Dark Lord is expecting you!" Her high pitched cackle cut through the air.

"It's all right, Hermione. It's all right. It'll be okay." He breathed as I struggled against him.

"No it will _not_ be okay!" I screeched, fighting with all I had. "He'll die there! They'll kill him!"

"He made the decision, Hermione. He knows what to do." He reasoned.

"How could you?" I stopped fighting, but broke away as I turned on him. He looked as though I had slapped him in the face.

"He and I have talked about this, Hermione. This is what he wanted."

"The hell it is." I spat.

"Hermione, listen to me!" He pleaded. "He knew this would happen one day. He told me if he ever got caught or taken that he would play the role that I had. It will help to have an extra person on the inside. He can help us defeat them!" I searched his eyes, tears falling from my own.

"How could you?" I whispered again, sorrow overtaking me. This time he took a step back, his expression hardening.

"I couldn't lose this much again." He said quietly.

"What does that even mean, 'this much'? You're not making any sense!" I cried. All at once his eyes were full of fire.

"Don't you see?" He hissed at me, his voice thick with emotion. "Every day since Lily died, _every_ day, waking was unwelcome. Every night I prayed for death. I walked numbly through my life – nothing gave me pleasure or respite…until the night I shared my burdens with you." His expression softened. His eyes searched mine desperately.

"Hermione, you have changed me. It terrifies me, but you have somehow given my life some meaning."

I just stared at him, my lips parted in shock. I felt the same in my heart, but my head was too overwhelmed to process any of this. He stepped forward, reaching out and tenderly brushing my tears away. He took a shaky breath.

"I had to. I love you, Hermione. Don't you see? I _love_ you."


	30. Perhaps

A/N: I own nothing and make no money from this...

* * *

"Careful, love, you are burning those." Fleur's voice snapped me out of my daze. I glanced down at the pan numbly to see half the sausage in the pan blackened. I transferred them to a plate slowly - every movement making me ache. The chatter around our little makeshift kitchen seemed to be an unintelligible buzz around me as I made my way to the folding table on the stage.

Once I sat, I looked up and glanced around the table. Beside me, as always, Ron plopped down, immediately loading his plate. George was next, slathering butter on toast as he spoke quietly with Lee. There was Fleur, sitting gracefully as she placed a large bowl of scrambled eggs among the rest of the breakfast food. She turned immediately and gazed at Bill with concern, running one small hand along his jawline before turning back to begin eating.

Bill continued to look ill; his face a light shade of green, dark circles under his eyes – he sat unmoving, his eyes open but glazed over. I dragged my eyes from him to the empty seat where Remus should be, quickly skipping over to Kingsley who was eating distractedly as he scribbled away on some parchment. To his right was Minerva, looking somber and tired. Neville sat next to her, his arm around Hannah as tears fell down her cheeks. Ernie picked at his food, the seat empty beside him.

Luna and Winky's chairs were empty as well since they were on guard duty. Rolf came next, eating with his eyes glued to his plate, a solemn look upon his face. The last seat, still a few feet from my side, was occupied by Severus. He looked oddly at ease – sitting straight and eating properly, but I could tell he was chewing ever so slowly, his mind working overtime as his eyes focused solely on his food.

I watched Severus a moment longer, remembering his words from the woods the night before…

" _I love you, Hermione. Don't you see? I love you." I heard the words, heard that beautiful velvet baritone voice say words that should have made my heart soar. But it was almost as if the words bounced off of me. I watched as his eyes searched my face desperately and felt my lips part, some unknown words trying to escape my mouth… but nothing came out._

 _He realized that I had no words to give him. His eyes narrowed and grew guarded, his lips clenched together, his expression carefully wiped away and pulling himself up to his full height. I knew I was losing him – I even felt in my heart the connection between us weakening… but I simply couldn't react. I was frozen, horrified and stunned by the day's events._

 _We moved from the clearing together, side-by-side, but we couldn't have been further apart. The journey back to the theater felt as though it took hours. My mind reeling with non-coherent thoughts and the silence between us growing more and more oppressive._

"What do we do now?" Fleur asked. Finally, after hours of numbness, her question seemed to pull me out of the depths and into to the present. My mind finally began working the correct way again, but her question was not an easy one. No one spoke for a few moments as we all considered this.

"What will happen to Remus?" Ron asked from beside me. I hesitated, biting my lip, before I could bring myself to look over at Severus. When I did, it was painfully obvious he wanted to avoid me completely. He straightened up, dabbing at his lips with a handkerchief before he answered, keeping his face turned away from us.

"It is difficult to know." He said quietly. "I imagine they will try to change him – brainwash him, if you will, to sympathize with the cause. If it can be done, we will have to face him in the end. However, he may remain loyal to us throughout it all, or…"

"Or?" I asked quietly. I saw his jaw twitch at the sound of my voice, his head turning just an infinitesimal amount towards me.

"The fact of it is," Minerva spoke up, "we have to _trust_ that he will remain loyal. Right now we need to decide when to make our move and we need to get in contact with the last of our fighters.

"Ron, George, I'll need to talk with both of you. Kingsley, would you mind relieving Winky? I'll need her as well." She said as she rose shakily, leaning heavily on her transfigured cane. As she moved around the table, she gently touched the shoulders of Ernie and Hannah. "If you feel up to it, we could use you both in this discussion." Ernie glanced up and nodded, but Hannah remained still.

"I think I should take Bill outside for some fresh air. Perhaps it will help?" Fleur said, glancing around the table.

"I'll come with you." Lee said, earning a grateful smile from her.

Lee and Fleur helped Bill to his feet and they began making their way to the back door. George and Ernie stood and followed Minerva backstage. Kingsley continued what he was doing for a few moments, then gathered up all his notes and made his way to the front of the building where Winky was positioned. Rolf rose to find Luna and soon it was just Severus, Neville, Hannah, Ron and I.

"Do you want to tag along?" Ron whispered to me, eyeing Severus. I shook my head.

"I'll be fine. I should really eat something and then try to rest." My voice was a bit hoarse from being silent since we left the clearing. Ron nodded, searching my face in concern. Finally he leaned in and gave me a small kiss on the cheek, rubbed my shoulder and then went off in search of the others.

A sob burst from Hannah's lips and Neville quickly dropped his fork and turned to comfort her. He stood, helping her to her feet and led her away to her little spot up in the balcony with an arm wrapped securely around her.

I glanced up and watched them walk away grimly. With a quick glance to my side I realized that I was, in fact, alone with Severus. Immediately I felt the effects of my guilt over our strained relationship. My stomach turned, my hands grew clammy… I eyed my eggs, toast and blackened sausage and knew I should eat them but I wasn't sure I'd be able to.

"I'll leave you to your breakfast." His quiet voice said. I noticed as he stood that he still had food on his plate.

"Don't leave on my account." I said quickly, carefully avoiding eye contact. "Eat. We all need our strength." There were a few terribly awkward moments as he fought with himself but he eventually sat once more. You could hear a pin drop as we ate in silence. When I could stand it no more, I said the first thing that came to mind.

"I hope the rest of the Weasleys can make it here quickly and safely." I rolled my eyes, cursing my need to find something to say.

"As do I." The silence stretched on again and I didn't think I could handle it. I popped the last bite of my eggs into my mouth and picked up my toast, intending to eat it en route to my own spot in the balcony.

"I'm sorry." His voice stopped me in my tracks. I couldn't bring myself to turn around, but I also couldn't walk away when his voice betrayed his sadness.

"You needn't be."

"It wasn't the thing to say. I realize that. But I… I didn't know how else to make you understand why I did what I did."

"I do, Severus." I said with a sigh. "I understand now that he can handle himself. I just…I just wish…"

"You haven't changed." Severus said wryly. I finally turned, just a bit, to watch his expression, unsure of what he meant.

"I remember that little eleven year old overachiever all that time ago." Severus said. "You were insufferable and it irked me beyond belief… but even though you held the rules in high regard, you would break them in a moment for your friends. I understand that now, and I know you were upset that you weren't given the choice this time."

"It's not as if I wanted to die." I said, tossing down my toast and crossing my arms.

"No, surely not. But you were given an opportunity and you were ready to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. Just as you always have been. We are all lucky to have your... _friendship_." His voice tightened with the last word. Suddenly I felt exhausted. I sank back into my chair and looked over at him, finally allowing my eyes to gaze into his, which were especially guarded and wary.

"You have more than that, you know you do." I said. His eyes softened a bit but he said nothing in return. I sighed, and relocated to the chair Rolf had vacated beside him. I rested my head on his shoulder and waited until I felt his muscles relax before I spoke again.

" _I'm_ sorry." I whispered. He reached over slowly and offered his hand, allowing me to wrap my fingers around his. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. "Bellatrix said something about another meeting, didn't she?"

"Yes."

"And you are supposed to be there? I wouldn't have thought he would call you back." Severus withdrew his hand and leaned forward on the table, staring at his hands. I sat up straighter, waiting for what I knew would be bad news.

"I see only two possibilities." His voice was low and tired. "One, she was taunting me. Trying to get me to go to the Manor only to be captured. However, she could also be telling the truth. Perhaps he will call on me after all." My brow furrowed, trying to make sense of this.

"But, if it's come to that, where you think you might be captured, why would he call on you?" I asked, confused. He turned to face me and his pained expression made my heart skip a beat.

"Because then I'll go willingly." This confused me even more for a moment before I recalled the conversation we had the day before. I exhaled sharply, feeling tears spring to my eyes.

"The Dark Mark." I breathed. "He'd give you the choice between being driven mad with the pain or willingly giving yourself up for capture." His lips tightened and he gave me a small nod. "Oh, Severus." I practically leapt into his lap, clutching him to me as tightly as I could. His arms wrapped around me as well, and he rested his head on mine, breathing in my scent as I did his.

"Perhaps you won't get called at all. Perhaps she was just taunting you and they'll leave you be." I said desperately. A long pause stretched between us before he responded.

"Perhaps."


	31. Goodbye?

A/N: I own nothing and make no money from this...

Hope you all had wonderful holidays! They snuck up on me this year and this last month has flown by so quickly! My apologies for being MIA. I made this chapter longer than usual though - hope you enjoy it! I finally have more free time to write so I am hoping to get these chapters out pretty quickly...

* * *

After the morning we had, I didn't feel up to doing much of anything. Luckily, it seemed that the others had anticipated this. Minerva shooed me away from the meeting she was having with Ron, George, Winky and Ernie and told me I wasn't needed for the rest of the day. It felt a bit like being let out of class early. I didn't care much for it in school, but though I knew there was much to be done, I relished the freedom now.

Severus seemed to be fighting between duty with Minerva or time with me, and in the end, Minerva waved her hand at him, releasing him from any feeling of duty or responsibility. He sat with me for a time, his arm around me and our hands intertwined, both of us lost in our thoughts. Eventually he squeezed my hand, kissed my forehead and excused himself. Several minutes later he returned with the smallest grin.

"Come." He said simply, holding out his hand. I hesitated only a moment, out of curiosity, but took his hand and let him lead me away.

We climbed up the spiral staircase backstage and then up a ladder to a small hatch on the roof. He climbed out first and then turned back to assist me. When I stepped out and looked around, I couldn't help my own grin.

"A picnic?" I said with a laugh. There on the roof was a tattered old blanket laid out with an old bottle of wine, some rolls, cheese and some dried fruit. His eyes darted to the blanket and back to me worriedly.

"I thought – well, I hoped…that is…" His brow furrowed as he searched for the right words. I touched his arm and then turned towards him and lifted my hand to his cheek. His wide eyes searched mine as I smiled up at him.

"It's perfect, Severus. Thank you." His eyes softened in relief. It really _was_ sweet. Certainly unexpected but welcome to have some time alone with him, away from the others and away from our troubles. As we sat, the rest of the world seemed to disappear.

"I know it's not much." He said softly.

"It's exactly what I needed. Time away…time with you." I touched his hand, and he gazed down as he entwined our fingers.

"I heard you before. And since we may never be granted the chance to do this again…"

"Don't say that." I said abruptly. I didn't want to think about anything, especially not the current situation.

"My apologies." He breathed. He swallowed and seemed to be contemplating his next sentence. "It seems like the right time to do this, as we don't know when we may have another chance." My nod seemed to be acceptance enough for him to continue.

"Hermione, in some other life you would have completed your years at Hogwarts and begun teaching and you and I could be together in peace." He reached forward and caressed my face. "I have dreamt about that other life. You and I together…in safety. No Death Eaters, no Voldemort… I regret so much the imbecilic choices of my past."

"But you've done so much good." I offered. He shook his head and withdrew his hand.

"This _thing_ has ruined too much." He growled, twisting his arm to glare at his dark mark. I stared at it, not really knowing how to respond. "It has affected every aspect of my life. It ruined my happiness as an adolescent and it is ruining it now. If I had known…" His voice broke. His eyes searched mine and my heart ached for him. I moved closer so that I could nestle myself against his chest.

"You couldn't have. And it has been a curse of course, but also a blessing. You have done many good things because of it. You cannot linger on regrets so much. Life is much too short." Silence stretched for a few moments. When he finally spoke his voice was thick with emotion.

"One so young as you shouldn't have to learn such a lesson so soon in life." His arms wrapped around me and seemed to hold me together as I reflected on his words. He was right, but alas, this was the hand we had been dealt.

*/*

I woke hours later and stretched happily in the rich afternoon sunlight. Turning my head towards Severus, I smiled shyly as I ran my fingers along his bare chest. We had eaten, mostly in silence, before returning to each other's arms and daydreaming aloud what sorts of things we would do if our world was different. Soon one thing led to another and we now found ourselves deliciously spent and relishing the feel of each other's skin against our own.

Severus stirred and I found his deep, dark eyes peering up at me as if he were seeing me for the first time. I smiled and leaned down for a soft, lingering kiss. The feelings coursing through my body were indescribable. I only knew that up here on this roof with Severus felt more peaceful than I think I had ever felt.

"I don't ever want to move from this spot." I said quietly. He brushed a stray curl from my cheek and smirked.

"You may feel differently if it begins to rain." I shoved him playfully before lying my head down on his shoulder and nuzzling into him as close as possible. His hand gently traced patterns on my back while we lay in silence. I couldn't help my mind starting to wander back to the issue at hand, however. Severus seemed to sense it too.

"I think the time to rejoin the others is approaching." His baritone voice hummed through his chest to my ear and made it even more difficult to contemplate leaving.

"Must we?" I whined. "I'm quite taken with ignoring our responsibilities at the moment." Severus gave a brief, quiet chuckle, rolling towards me.

"Trust me, I'd like nothing more than to never leave this." he gestured around us. I smiled, darting forward to give him another kiss. As I pulled back, his eyes fell on my lips. He leaned towards me as well and soon we were kissing deeply, arms wrapped around each other. After several heated moments, he pulled back, out of breath.

"Hermione…" He breathed.

"Shhh." I hushed him, covering his lips with my own again. He gave in at first but pulled back once more.

"If we don't leave now, we won't be rejoining them anytime soon." He said in a husky voice. I bit my lip, considering this.

"Hermione." He scolded. "We must go."

"Fine." I pouted a bit. "I just don't want to leave your arms." He hesitated a minute, staring into my eyes. I could tell he wanted to say I wouldn't have to wait long to be there again, but, in reality, neither of us knew if that was true.

*/*

"George, Lee, you will scout the school – take Winky with you, she will be of help." Kingsley said authoritatively.

"I could go with them, sir." Ernie offered. Kingsley checked his bits of parchment and nodded.

"That'll be fine."

"Might we release Hagrid before we battle?" Luna asked.

"That would certainly be ideal, Luna, but we may not be able to." Minerva answered. Rolf stood suddenly, causing all eyes to shift to him.

"If I may, Mr. Shacklebolt, I'd like to go with the others and try to free him with Luna's help."

"That is much too dangerous!" Fleur cried.

"It's too risky." Neville agreed.

Severus's fingers flexed slightly as he held my hand. I glanced quickly over at him, noticing his eyes hardening but he made no other movements. My eyes roaming over the group found George, Ron and Lee all nodding in agreement, but Minerva and Kingsley still looked unsure. One more glance at Severus revealed nothing about his thoughts on the matter. He remained as stoic as ever. Though, I noticed as I looked closer, it appeared he might be sweating a bit. A few small beads had appeared on his hairline.

"No, you have to release him." A quiet but decisive voice gave us all pause. Hannah had spoken for the first time since losing Dean, her eyes still red rimmed. There was a thick silence while we all waited for her to continue. Neville reached over to rub her shoulder and whisper in her ear. Finally she lifted her chin and addressed us all.

"He's not well guarded. I think they know he's too gentle. Never more than two on him at once. Every afternoon they take him to the grounds for different errands. If you can catch them as far away from the castle as possible, you could probably take them." We all considered this for a moment. I tried to shift my hand in Severus's, as it felt as though he was squeezing me tighter.

"I'll go with them." Neville said.

"No, I should go." Hannah turned to look at him. "You needn't put yourself at risk."

"Hannah, if you are going, I am going." They maintained intense eye contact for a few moments, then Neville turned away and nodded to Kingsley.

"Then it's decided. George, Lee – you will take Winky, Ernie, Hannah and Neville to Hogwarts to scout and release Hagrid." Kingsley said, scribbling some notes.

"And keep an eye out for Remus." I added.

"He won't be there." Severus's tight voice came from my right. I glanced over. He looked a bit more pale than usual and his breath seemed shaky. I furrowed my brow, silently asking what was wrong. He didn't look my way – in fact, he hardly moved at all.

The rest of our little meeting flew by. As we weren't sure of the numbers of the Death eaters or the location of Voldemort, we'd need to scout the school and Malfoy Manor, recruit the house elves, rescue Hagrid and wait for the rest of the Weasleys to arrive before much else could be done. When Malfoy Manor was brought up, Minerva eyed Severus, but much to my surprise, he did not volunteer. In the end, Fleur agreed to accompany Kingsley there.

As the others began talking amongst themselves, Severus stood abruptly and dragged me away from the table all the way out near the front doors. When I caught up and turned to face him, I knew something was seriously wrong. His skin was white as a sheet, and his entire face shone with sweat. His eyes were pained as he looked me over.

"Hermione, I… I…" He stuttered, his voice tight. I quickly realized what was happening, and dread filled me.

"You are being summoned?" I asked, barely above a whisper. My eyes dropped to his left forearm as if the pain was visible. He quickly wrapped his fingers around it, obviously in a great deal of pain.

"When?" I asked dumbly.

"I felt it first on the rooftop." He saw my face fall and cringed. "I didn't know…well, I had hoped I was wrong. But it grew stronger as the meeting went on."

My mind was racing. There was so much I wanted to say, but no time to say it. My lips parted, but nothing came out. It was as if all the words I wanted to say had crashed in the back of my throat and only nonsense remained. I lifted my eyes to his, still unable to speak. Through his pain he managed to lift one side of his mouth in some semblance of a smile.

"I cannot say I have ever seen you speechless, Miss Granger." His beautiful voice was shaking. I opened my mouth once more, hoping desperately that I could say something…anything.

"I…I…" Tears were welling up in my eyes, but I still could not speak. Severus sucked in his breath sharply and a moment later, had me wrapped in his arms. His arms held me so tightly it was almost painful, but I clung to him just as tightly.

"And I you, Hermione. There's so much to say. But it will have to wait. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." His voice broke at the end as he buried his face in my hair. He inhaled deeply, kissed my head and then began striding away as if nothing was the matter. He left so fast, my arms were still outstretched as if I was embracing the air. Slowly I let them drop. Just before he walked out the door, he hesitated, looking back over his shoulder. My heart skipped a beat as I saw his face truly betray his emotions for the first time. With his expression full of pain and his eyes full of unshed tears, it was the most vulnerable I had ever seen him. He took a deep breath and disappeared, leaving me to realize that I would likely never see him again.


	32. Cruciatus

SEVERUS

I quickly rounded the corner and leant back against the brick wall, trying desperately to regain control. I hadn't felt this emotional in decades. It was strange and unwelcome, and it needed to pass before anything could be done. The blinding pain in my arm made it increasingly difficult to focus. I squeezed my eyes shut, but all I could see was her face, full of grief. What I would give for one more touch, one more kiss…

Several deep breaths later, the burning in my eyes had subsided. My heart was still beating much too fast but I doubted much could be done about that. Conjuring water to splash on my face and then a quick drying charm left me feeling a bit more prepared. Straining my mind against the pain, I pushed all thoughts of Hermione away, tucking them as safely as possible behind a carefully constructed wall. Lifting my chin, I knew that was the best I'd be able to do for now. The flesh on my arm felt as though it was melting away, the searing hot pain traveling up my muscles further and further into my body. It threatened to bring painful memories of the same feeling long ago when I lost the only other woman I had ever loved.

Without another moment's hesitation, I apparated away, stumbling once I hit the pavement outside of the gate of Malfoy Manor. Straightening up, I readied myself as best I could – forcing an emotionless mask over my features, ensuring the wall protecting my memories of Hermione was in place, and raising my chin as though this was simply another call to service. I knew it was anything but – in fact, I seriously doubted I would leave this place alive.

One last deep breath and I began the trek up the drive to the Manor.

*/*

HERMIONE

The tears in my eyes were dangerously close to falling in despair after he left, already feeling like a part of me was missing. By the time the first and only tear fell, however, anger had filled up all the empty spaces. I was shaking in outrage as I made my way back to the others. Ron turned and did a double take over his shoulder at me. Once he noticed my expression, he pulled his hands out of his pockets, jumped down from the stage and cautiously approached me.

"'Mione? Everything alright?"

"Severus is gone." I said through gritted teeth. Ron's brow lifted in surprise.

"He left? Why?" I turned to look him in the eyes, and he recoiled from the daggers my eyes were shooting at him.

"He was summoned." I hissed. Ron's expression changed quickly as he realized what that meant. He carefully put his arm around me and began leading me backstage.

"Oh. Hermione, I'm so sorry. We'll find him." I walked ahead focused on only one thing. Voldemort had terrorized the wizarding community for too long. It was time to end him.

"Kingsley!" Ron got the attention of the older man just as he and Fleur were readying to leave. "Wait for me."

"It was only Fleur and I who volunteered to scout Malfoy Manor." Kingsley said, confused. Minerva rounded the corner, her arms folded as she observed our conversation.

"Yes, well, things have changed. I need to go with you." Ron said, clearing his throat. Fleur shook her head at him.

"No, no, Ronald. It is far too risky. You must stay here with Bill." She said, her eyes shifting over to Bill's slumped posture atop an old armchair backstage. Ron looked over at him as well and I saw him contemplating whether he should go or not.

"Ron, you should stay here with Bill. I'll go." I said calmly.

"No, Hermione, you should not be going when you are like this." He moved closer, quieting his words to me. It did not escape Kinglsey, who arched an eyebrow in our direction.

"What is this?" He asked. Minerva shifted on our side.

"Where is Severus?" She asked. I could tell she had already pieced it all together. I looked over at her and confirmed it.

"Minerva?" Kingsley asked. "What is going on?" Minerva subtly raised a questioning eyebrow. I gave her a small nod.

"Kingsley – Hermione and Ron, should he choose to, will accompany you. Fleur, perhaps you could stay if Ron goes." Fleur looked nervously between us all.

"Fleur, Minerva is the best one to watch him. He'll be alright." Ron said. Fleur nodded, and seemed to convince herself that it was best that she came with us. After a nod from Fleur, and a quick glance at the rest of us, Kingsley nodded.

"Very well. Let's get a move on then."

*/*

SEVERUS

I did not hesitate as I ascended the stairs and strode towards the group of Death Eaters sitting at the large table in the Manor. Every pair of eyes turned towards me except one. As my eyes passed over everyone, it took all my strength to not scowl at Bellatrix's huge, gleeful smile. My eyes came to rest on the high backed chair nearest me. I made no move to sit, but stood with my head held high, waiting to hear my fate.

"Well, well, well." Came the voice that narrated the worst of my dreams. "Severusssss. We were beginning to think we wouldn't see you tonight." I swallowed, choosing my words carefully and thankful now that the pain had vanished that my mind was clear.

"You called, I answered, my lord." I said, as calmly as I could. Bellatrix snorted angrily.

"Now, now, Bella." Voldemort scolded. "We mustn't pretend to know just what our dear Severussss has been up to these days."

"But my lord!" Bellatrix exclaimed in that piercing high voice. "He has attacked our ranks. He has _killed_ your servants!"

"We, more than anyone should understand that sometimes sacrificessss must be made, my dear Bella." Her look of outrage would have made Hermione laugh. That thought sobered me quickly. I couldn't have any thought of her in a place where he could find it. At any point now he would be searching my thoughts and they must be carefully concealed.

"Come." Voldemort said, holding his hand over the side of his chair. It was a regal gesture, meant usually for you to kiss the ring of your ruler, but here it simply kept the main message the same: submit. I braced myself as I approached him, sinking to one knee, bending my head and gently grasping his fingertips as we had been instructed to do. In moments I could feel him tearing painfully through my thoughts and memories. I had no time or ability to be worried about the wrong things being found. This continued longer than usual, and by the time he withdrew, I was shaky and sweating, barely able to keep steady as I knelt before him. The silence after he released me was deafening.

"Issss there anything you'd like to tell me, Severusssss?" I glanced upwards to see he was leaning down towards me, gazing levelly into my eyes. I felt this was a warning. I stared back at him, meeting his challenge.

"No, my lord." I breathed. He paused a moment, then snapped his fingers.

"Luciusssss. As this is your home, I'll let you do the honors."

Lucius looked up suddenly, as if he hadn't been listening. Once his eyes fell on mine, however, they narrowed in determination. He slowly stood, straightening out his clothing before making his way over to me. I pushed myself up to my feet as he approached, looking him squarely in the eye, both of us sizing each other up.

"Get on with it!" Bellatrix's shrill voice cried. Lucius clamped his hand down on my arm and pulled me to the far end of the room. Torture was meant to be seen as entertainment here. Lucius attempted to throw me down to the ground, but I kept my balance. Lucius shot a nervous look back at the others, his expression turning murderous as he faced me once again.

"Get down." He hissed. I smirked, but relented, knowing this all was inevitable. Lucius was the ideal man for the job after all, anyone else would be much worse. He stepped over me, his chin raised, but his expression softened the slightest bit.

"I have to do this, Severus. You understand." He whispered.

"Oh, Lucius, no one would ever expect _your_ loyalty." I sneered. The disgusted scowl that spread across his face gave me just a hint of pleasure before the intense pain of the Cruciatus Curse hit.


End file.
